curate

American  

[kyoor-it, kyoo-rayt, kyoor-ayt] / ˈkjʊər ɪt, kjʊˈreɪt, ˈkjʊər eɪt /

noun

1. Chiefly British. a member of the clergy employed to assist a rector or vicar.

2. any ecclesiastic entrusted with the cure of souls, as a parish priest.

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verb (used with object)

curated, curating

1. to take charge of (a museum) or organize (an art exhibit).

   to curate a photography show.

2. to pull together, sift through, and select for presentation, as music or website content.

   “We curate our merchandise with a sharp eye for trending fashion,” the store manager explained.

curate ¹ British  

/ ˈkjʊərɪt /

noun

1. a clergyman appointed to assist a parish priest

2. a clergyman who has the charge of a parish ( curate-in-charge )

3. an assistant barman

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curate ² British  

/ kjʊəˈreɪt /

verb

1. (tr) to be in charge of (an art exhibition or museum)

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Other Word Forms

• curateship
  noun
• curation
  noun
• subcurate
  noun
• curatic
  adjective
• curatical
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of curate

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English curat, from Anglo-French or directly from Medieval Latin cūrātus, equivalent to Latin cūr(a) “care” + -ātus -ate ¹

Explanation

When you curate something, you organize and present it. If you work for a museum, you might curate an exhibit of abstract sculpture. The noun curate originally referred to anyone taking care of church property in some way. Nowadays, the noun generally refers to a person with religious training who conducts religious services. Curate comes from the word cure, and a curate is supposed to cure that most important part of you — your soul. When you curate a museum exhibit — or a selection of 1980s fashion for your retro blog — you care for or manage it just as a curate cares for a parish.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

curate curated curating

In contrast with mass-market chains that have been cutting staff, Artizia relies on attentive saleswomen the retailer calls “style advisers” to help customers curate outfits.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026

He’ll conduct and curate subscription concerts and multidisciplinary projects.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 29, 2026

Smartphones have fooled us into thinking that we curate what our screens show us.

From Salon ● Aug. 27, 2026

Recommendation algorithms are the tools that Meta uses to automatically curate the content a user sees on its platforms.

From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026

The curate began to groan, beginning to regain consciousness.

From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman

In 2023, Gutiérrez Senger curated a pop-up exhibition — featured in the film — alongside Pilar Tompkins Rivas, called “Asco and the Next Gen: An Inter-Generational Celebration of Latinx Art.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026

At any of the major art fairs, the most striking presentations usually come from specially curated sections.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026

My colleagues have curated some great stories to help you get refreshed and reenergized this evening.

From Slate ● Sep. 23, 2026

This edition was curated and edited in collaboration with Joe Haberstroh.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026

The blue day—even the watery reflections in the stained-glass windows seemed curated, cultivated, perfected.

From "Tradition" by Brendan Kiely

Here in Los Angeles, the task of curating L.A. artists fell heavily to Han Santana-Sayles.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2026

Coldplay's Chris Martin is curating the extravaganza, a first for a football World Cup final and one that has raised concerns over how long the game's halftime break will be.

From Barron's ● Jul. 8, 2026

The company said it plans to focus on leveraging its retail model and curating product portfolios and experiences to meet the needs of high-income consumers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026

Humans are incredibly efficient at plant and animal domestication, the process of selecting and curating prosocial hereditary traits for our own benefit.

From Salon ● Apr. 23, 2026

Apple is frustratingly good at curating to the letter what it chooses to say, even in private.

From BBC ● Apr. 21, 2026