proconsul

¹ American  

[proh-kon-suhl] / proʊˈkɒn səl /

noun

1. Roman History. an official, usually a former consul, who acted as governor or military commander of a province, and who had powers similar to those of a consul.

2. any appointed administrator over a dependency or an occupied area.

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Proconsul ² American  

[proh-kon-suhl] / proʊˈkɒn səl /

noun

1. an African subgenus of Dryopithecus that lived 17–20 million years ago and is possibly ancestral to modern hominoids.

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proconsul British  

/ prəʊˈkɒnsjʊlə, prəʊˈkɒnsəl /

noun

1. an administrator or governor of a colony, occupied territory, or other dependency

2. (in ancient Rome) the governor of a senatorial province

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Other Word Forms

• proconsular adjective
• proconsularly adverb
• proconsulate noun

Etymology

Origin of proconsul¹

1350–1400; Middle English < Latin prōconsul; pro- ¹, consul

Origin of Proconsul²

< New Latin (1933), equivalent to pro- pro- ¹ + Consul, allegedly the name of a chimpanzee in a London zoo (with a pun on Latin prōconsul proconsul ); the genus was thought to be ancestral to the chimpanzee

Explanation

In ancient Rome, the governor of a province was called a proconsul. During wartime, proconsuls had their terms extended beyond the usual year. Each Roman province had its own proconsul, who was appointed by an elected consul. The word comes from the Latin pro, "in place of," and consul, "magistrate." In ancient Rome, most of these positions were filled by experienced officials who had previously served as consuls. In modern times, proconsul is still used for some officials whose authority is delegated to them by another government official; modern proconsuls often serve as diplomats in foreign countries.

Example Sentences

The Senate immediately appointed him proconsul or governor of all Roman frontier provinces, which made him effectively the commander of the entire Roman army.

From Textbooks • Apr. 19, 2023

Before his own death in 14 CE, Augustus arranged for his stepson Tiberius to receive from the Senate the power of a proconsul and a tribune.

From Textbooks • Apr. 19, 2023

To some locals, it was a caricature of a colonial proconsul inspecting his troops.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 25, 2022

Conference tributes came also from Yale alumnus L. Paul Bremer III, the former American proconsul of Iraq's Green Zone in 2003; from former U.S.

From Salon • May 8, 2021

“He looks a little like my proconsul, Marcus. We could call him Marcus.”

From "The Graveyard Book" by Neil Gaiman