# coroner

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈkɒ.ɹə.nə(ɹ)/ · frequency rank #16,440

## Definitions
1. A public official who presides over an inquest into unnatural deaths, and who may have (or historically had) additional powers such as investigating cases of treasure trove.
2. A medical doctor who performs autopsies and determines time and cause of death from a scientific standpoint.
3. The administrative head of a sheading.

## Etymology
From Middle English coroner, from Old French curuner, from Medieval Latin custōs placitōrum corōnae (“guardian of the crown's pleas”). The function was originally to protect royal properties.

## Easily confused with
- **crone** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/coroner-vs-crone)
- **Croker** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/coroner-vs-croker)
- **corner** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/corner-vs-coroner)
- **Cooper** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cooper-vs-coroner)
- **cooler** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cooler-vs-coroner)
- **corona** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/corona-vs-coroner)
- **cooker** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cooker-vs-coroner)
- **cornea** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cornea-vs-coroner)
- **cornet** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cornet-vs-coroner)
- **Cooney** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cooney-vs-coroner)
- **corned** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/corned-vs-coroner)
- **corker** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/corker-vs-coroner)
- **colonel** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/colonel-vs-coroner)
- **corners** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/corners-vs-coroner)
- **coronal** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/coronal-vs-coroner)
- **coronary** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/coronary-vs-coroner)
- **commoner** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/commoner-vs-coroner)

## Common misspellings (10)
`ccoroner`, `coorner`, `cornoer`, `coroenr`, `coronerr`, `coronner`, `coronre`, `corroner`, `crooner`, `ocroner`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/coroner