# reeve

> English word · Noun · IPA /ɹiːv/ · frequency rank #32,556

## Definitions
1. Any of several local officials, with varying responsibilities.
2. The president of a township or municipal district council.
3. The holder of a proposed but unadopted commissioned rank of the Royal Air Force, equivalent to wing commander.

## Etymology
From Middle English reve, from Old English rēfa, an aphetism of ġerēfa (also groefa), from Proto-West Germanic *garāfijō (“officer, official”). Compare Danish greve, Swedish greve, Dutch graaf, German Graf.
The role, and eventually the word, was mostly replaced by bailiff, of Anglo-Norman origin.

## Easily confused with
- **rev** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/reeve-vs-rev)
- **Rene** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/reeve-vs-rene)
- **rove** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/reeve-vs-rove)
- **Rhee** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/reeve-vs-rhee)
- **reuse** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/reeve-vs-reuse)
- **revel** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/reeve-vs-revel)
- **revue** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/reeve-vs-revue)
- **Renée** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/reeve-vs-renee)
- **remove** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/reeve-vs-remove)
- **revive** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/reeve-vs-revive)
- **Reeves** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/reeve-vs-reeves)
- **relive** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/reeve-vs-relive)
- **revere** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/reeve-vs-revere)
- **reserve** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/reeve-vs-reserve)
- **relieve** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/reeve-vs-relieve)
- **ree** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ree-vs-reeve)
- **reed** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/reed-vs-reeve)
- **reef** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/reef-vs-reeve)
- **reel** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/reel-vs-reeve)
- **rave** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rave-vs-reeve)

## Common misspellings (6)
`ereve`, `reeev`, `reevve`, `reve`, `revee`, `rreeve`

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