Word
magistrate
Phoneticsmag·is·trate
US/ˈmædʒəˌstɹeɪt/
UK/mˈædʒɪstɹˌeɪt/
Definitions
01legal official
n. a judge who deals with smaller crimes or decides if a bigger case should go to a higher court.
n. a judicial officer with limited authority to administer and enforce the law, typically presiding over a court for minor criminal or civil matters.
“The magistrate decided that the driver had to pay a fine for speeding.”
“The defendant appeared before the magistrate to face charges of petty theft and disturbing the peace.”
Formal
Usage
In many legal systems, this is a countable noun and often refers to a layperson rather than a professional lawyer.
Teaching tip
In the UK, magistrates are often volunteers from the community, whereas in other systems they may be professional civil servants.
02historical official
n. a high-ranking government official in ancient times, like in Rome or Greece.
n. a high-ranking civil officer of the state or a municipality in ancient Greece or Rome.
“In ancient Rome, a magistrate held great power over the city's laws.”
“The historian examined how the role of the chief magistrate evolved during the transition from the Roman Republic to the Empire.”
Archaic
Teaching tip
This sense is primarily encountered in historical texts or classical literature.
Synonyms
Real-World Examples
“Sterling, from Berkshire, is due to appear at Basingstoke magistrates court for a hearing on 15 September.” “But for the seven mothers and two fathers who were summoned at 10am to a stuffy room in the town’s magistrates court, set just behind the beachfront strip of arcades, the subject was unavoidable.” Etymology
From Middle English magistrat, maiestrat (“magistrate; magistracy”), borrowed from Latin magistrātus. See also -ate (forms nouns denoting rank or office).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Domain
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/magistrate