prothonotary

[ proh-thon-uh-ter-ee, proh-thuh-noh-tuh-ree ]
/ proʊˈθɒn əˌtɛr i, ˌproʊ θəˈnoʊ tə ri /

noun, plural pro·thon·o·tar·ies.

a chief clerk or official in certain courts of law.
Roman Catholic Church.
  1. any of the seven members of the college of prothonotaries apostolic, charged chiefly with the registry of pontifical acts and canonizations.
  2. an honorary title for certain other prelates.
Greek Orthodox Church. the chief secretary of the patriarch of Constantinople.
Also protonotary.

Origin of prothonotary

1400–50; late Middle English < Medieval Latin prōthonotārius, Late Latin prōtonotārius < Greek prōtonotā́rios. See proto-, notary

OTHER WORDS FROM prothonotary

pro·thon·o·tar·i·al [proh-thon-uh-tair-ee-uh l, proh-thuh-noh-tair-] /proʊˌθɒn əˈtɛər i əl, ˌproʊ θə noʊˈtɛər-/, adjective

Words nearby prothonotary

prothalamion, prothalamium, prothallium, prothallus, prothesis, prothonotary, prothonotary apostolic, prothonotary warbler, prothoracic gland, prothorax, prothrombin

Example sentences from the Web for prothonotary

British Dictionary definitions for prothonotary

prothonotary

protonotary

/ (ˌprəʊθəˈnəʊtərɪ, -trɪ, prəʊˈθɒnə-) /

noun plural -taries

(formerly) a chief clerk in certain law courts

Derived forms of prothonotary

prothonotarial (prəʊˌθɒnəˈtɛərɪəl) or protonotarial, adjective

Word Origin for prothonotary

C15: from Medieval Latin prōthonotārius, from prōtho- proto- + Late Latin notārius notary