coroner

American  

[kawr-uh-ner, kor-] / ˈkɔr ə nər, ˈkɒr- /

noun

• coroners
  plural

1. an officer, as of a county or municipality, whose chief function is to investigate by inquest, as before a jury, any death not clearly resulting from natural causes.

---

coroner British  

/ ˈkɒrənə /

noun

1. a public official responsible for the investigation of violent, sudden, or suspicious deaths and inquiries into treasure trove. The investigation ( coroner's inquest ) is held in the presence of a jury ( coroner's jury ) See also procurator fiscal Compare medical examiner

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• coronership
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• coroners
  plural

Etymology

Origin of coroner

1225–75; Middle English < Anglo-French corouner supervisor of the Crown's pleas, equivalent to coroune crown + -er -er ²

Explanation

A coroner is a scientist with a grim specialty: a coroner studies dead bodies and figures out the cause of death. If you've ever watched a TV show or movie about crime, chances are you've seen a character who was a coroner. If someone dies of a heart attack, there's not much need for a coroner, because everyone knows how they died. When the circumstances are unclear or suspicious, a coroner is needed. Coroners are very helpful in solving crimes.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

coroner coroners

At a hearing in Caernarfon to establish whether it was treasure, north west Wales deputy coroner Sarah Riley described the finding as "absolutely stunning".

From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026

The 40-year-old woman was unvaccinated, according to the coroner.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026

Before the jury resumed their deliberations on Monday 14 September, the coroner Mr Justice Rooney announced that one juror, who had taken part in the previous phase of the deliberations, had been discharged.

From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026

Over the weekend, a coroner in Pennsylvania’s Jefferson County said a 40-year-old woman there died from complications from measles.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026

The coroner, in Mr. Wopsle’s hands, became Timon of Athens; the beadle, Coriolanus.

From "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens

The state health department said that under law, it doesn’t have to report deaths to coroners.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026

Several coroners have warned about the dangers posed by these batteries and have issued at least five Prevention of Future Deaths reports since 2023, with recommendations to improve public safety.

From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026

For the final analysis, researchers used only cases for which coroners had approved the use of the data.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 15, 2026

The cases were submitted by coroners, forensic pathologists, and police forces between March 2019 and August 2024.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 15, 2026

In the country districts, the police magistrates act as coroners, and in the districts of New Norfolk, Richmond, Oatlands, Campbell Town, Longford, Horton, and South Port, as commissioners of the court of requests.

From The History of Tasmania , Volume II by John West