magistrate
Americannoun
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a civil officer charged with the administration of the law.
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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.
noun
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a public officer concerned with the administration of law
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another name for justice of the peace
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the former name for district court judge
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of magistrate
1350–1400; Middle English magistrat < Latin magistrātus magistracy, magistrate, equivalent to magist ( e ) r master + -ātus -ate 3
Explanation
A magistrate is a person who lays down the law — a judge or other civil authority who conducts a court. Minor offenses are often brought before a magistrate. Magistrate goes back to the Latin magistratus, meaning "administrator." Lawmakers and judges might have a role in making and changing laws; magistrates focus on carrying out the laws on a case-by-case basis. A magistrate doesn't usually make final rulings on murders or high-level cases. He or she might hear cases about things like property damage or traffic violations.
Vocabulary lists containing magistrate
"The Crucible" -- Vocabulary from all 4 Acts
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Occupations
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Treasure Island
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Spence admitted the offence and at a hearing last week magistrate Richard Deacon sentenced him to a £146 fine and ordered him to pay £120 in costs.
From BBC • May 23, 2026
The magistrate determined that he should be transferred to the Colombo prison hospital.
From BBC • May 9, 2026
In court documents tied to a different case, in October 2025, a magistrate judge mentioned “an unrelated white-collar investigation involving the Governor of Puerto Rico.”
From Salon • May 6, 2026
The Pasadena-based clinic is accused of fraud, according to a seizure warrant affidavit that federal prosecutors filed Monday and that a federal magistrate in Los Angeles approved.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 28, 2026
The magistrate did not recognize Painter Chen, but Liang recognized him as the young judge, now much older.
From "When the Sea Turned to Silver" by Grace Lin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
