law enforcement: the office or jurisdiction of a bailiff (see bailiffsense 1a)
2
: the sphere in which one has superior knowledge or authority : a special domain (see domainsense 4)
… concerns at the spy agency that the Pentagon is intruding into its traditional bailiwick. Scott Shane and Mark Mazzetti
Did you know?
The first half of the word bailiwick comes from the Middle English word for "bailiff"—in this case, a term referring to a sheriff or chief officer of a town in medieval England, not the officer who assists today in U.S. courtrooms. Bailiff derives, via Anglo-French, from Latin bajulare, meaning "to carry a burden." The second half of bailiwick comes from wik, a Middle English word for "dwelling place" or "village," which ultimately derives from Latin vicus, meaning "village." (This root also gave us -wich and -wick, suffixes used in place names like Norwich and Warwick.) Although bailiwick dates from the 15th century, the "special domain" sense did not appear in English until the middle of the 19th century.
questions about organization of the fund drive are my bailiwick
Recent Examples on the WebHowever, its bailiwick has expanded in recent years under the leadership of Chris McCarthy, a longtime executive at Paramount Global, the cable programming giant formerly known as ViacomCBS.Los Angeles Times, 1 Aug. 2022 But the ordinances of morality have a wider bailiwick.New York Times, 2 Aug. 2022 Never mind that these were issues that fell squarely within the bailiwick of the agency’s Wage and Hour Division, where Weil had served in the past and was nominated to head again. Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 14 July 2022 In shutting down the Abbott plant, the FDA was acting from a zero-risk mentality in its own bailiwick—protecting infant formula from factory contamination—with zero regard for costs and risks that would be somebody else’s problem. James Freeman, WSJ, 25 May 2022 But MTV Entertainment Studios’ bailiwick has expanded in recent years under the leadership of Chris McCarthy, a longtime executive at Paramount Global, the cable programming giant formerly known as ViacomCBS. Ryan Faughnder, Los Angeles Times, 18 May 2022 His bailiwick is seamy realism, walking the edge of soft-core as lowlife exploiter Larry Clark did with Kids, but never transcending it. Armond White, National Review, 29 Dec. 2021 The Scripture says to feed the widows and the orphans and take care of those who can't take care themselves, and that is Skip Rutherford's bailiwick. Bill Bowden, Arkansas Online, 27 June 2021 So the Hoosiers just have to find an inside receiver who can make up for some of the playmaking in space that has been Philyor’s bailiwick. Jon Blau, The Indianapolis Star, 1 Apr. 2021 See More
Word History
Etymology
Middle English baillifwik, from baillif + wik dwelling place, village, from Old English wīc, from Latin vicus village — more at vicinity