magistrate

[ maj-uh-streyt, -strit ]
/ ˈmædʒ əˌstreɪt, -strɪt /

noun

a civil officer charged with the administration of the law.
a minor judicial officer, as a justice of the peace or the judge of a police court, having jurisdiction to try minor criminal cases and to conduct preliminary examinations of persons charged with serious crimes.

Origin of magistrate

1350–1400; Middle English magistrat < Latin magistrātus magistracy, magistrate, equivalent to magist(e)r master + -ātus -ate3

OTHER WORDS FROM magistrate

mag·is·trate·ship, noun

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH magistrate

magisterial magistrate majestic

Example sentences from the Web for magistrate

British Dictionary definitions for magistrate

magistrate
/ (ˈmædʒɪˌstreɪt, -strɪt) /

noun

a public officer concerned with the administration of law Related adjective: magisterial
another name for justice of the peace
NZ the former name for district court judge

Derived forms of magistrate

magistrateship, noun

Word Origin for magistrate

C17: from Latin magistrātus, from magister master