curator

American  

[kyoo-rey-ter, kyoor-ey-, kyoor-uh-ter] / kyʊˈreɪ tər, ˈkyʊər eɪ-, ˈkyʊər ə tər /

noun

1. the person in charge of a museum, art collection, etc.

2. a person who selects content for presentation, as on a website.

3. a manager; superintendent.

4. Law. a guardian of a minor or any other person who is unable to care for their own affairs, especially with regard to their property.

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curator British  

/ ˌkjʊərəˈtɔːrɪəl, kjʊəˈreɪtə /

noun

1. the administrative head of a museum, art gallery, or similar institution

2. law a guardian of a minor, mentally ill person, etc

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Other Word Forms

• curatorial adjective
• curatorship noun
• subcurator noun
• subcuratorial adjective
• subcuratorship noun

Etymology

Origin of curator

First recorded in 1325–75; from Latin, equivalent to cūrā(re) “to care for, attend to” ( see cure) + -tor -tor

Explanation

If you are the curator of the school art show, you choose which pieces will be in it and decide how they will be displayed. A curator is someone who manages an art collection or exhibit. The kind of artwork a curator manages does not have to be the visual kind. You can curate a series of readings by selecting which authors read in it and who reads together. A curator is the person who gives the overall shape and feel to an art exhibit. In law, if you are the curator of someone's estate, you have been given legal power to manage it for someone who is too young or mentally unable to do it themselves.

Example Sentences

Founder and art curator Runjeet Singh, who has exhibited internationally, said he was "incredibly proud" to open the gallery in his hometown.

From BBC • Apr. 24, 2026

And the 11 known fossils of this animal are the first good evidence for the early evolution of the crocodylomorpha, said Dr Paul Davis, geology curator at Lyme Regis Museum.

From BBC • Apr. 22, 2026

So as a curator and museum director, I bring artworks together with different audiences.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 20, 2026

In 1937, the first gold arrived at Fort Knox—‘our modern-day El Dorado,’ as Yale curator John Stuart Gordon calls it.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026

“I see you’ve met the old man!” called a voice from behind me, and I turned to see the curator striding in my direction.

From "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children" by Ransom Riggs

Related Words

• administrator
• conservator
• custodian
• director
• manager