proctor

American  

[prok-ter] / ˈprɒk tər /

noun

1. a person appointed to keep watch over students at examinations.

2. an official charged with various duties, especially with the maintenance of good order.

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verb (used with or without object)

1. to supervise or monitor.

proctor British  

/ prɒkˈtɔːrɪəl, ˈprɒktə /

noun

1. a member of the teaching staff of any of certain universities having the duties of enforcing discipline

2. (in a college or university) a supervisor or monitor who invigilates examinations, enforces discipline, etc

3. (formerly) an agent, esp one engaged to conduct another's case in a court

4. (formerly) an agent employed to collect tithes

5. Church of England one of the elected representatives of the clergy in Convocation and the General Synod

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verb

1. (tr) to invigilate (an examination)

Other Word Forms

• proctorial
  adjective
• proctorially
  adverb
• proctorship
  noun
• subproctor
  noun
• subproctorial
  adjective
• subproctorship
  noun

Etymology

Origin of proctor

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English; contracted variant of procurator

Explanation

A proctor keeps an eye on students who are taking a test to make sure they don't cheat. The invention of the cell phone has certainly made proctors' lives tougher. For college entrance exams, students are often supervised by a professional proctor, while in less official situations, like a pop quiz, the proctor is usually the teacher herself. Proctor is both a noun and a verb, so you might say that a proctor's job is to proctor, or make sure no test-takers' eyes are straying. The Latin root word is procuratorem, which means "manager."

Example Sentences

It served as an example of small-town America, with a population of 15,000 and shops with names like Loose Cow Mercantile, Weasel Creek Outfitters and Proctor Biggs Feed Mill.

From BBC • Apr. 30, 2026

“We want people who are going to be a delight to work with, who are going to be great with the crew, great with the technical staff and great with the guests,” Proctor said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 30, 2026

Bass-baritone Ryan McKinny was eloquent as John Proctor, the opera’s flawed hero, cogently depicting his struggles with guilt.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 23, 2026

Those falsely accused had their properties raided including ex-MP Harvey Proctor, who lost both his home and his job.

From BBC • Feb. 10, 2026

McDonough, as tall as the others but with a potbelly, was, like Perlstein and Proctor, in his late twenties or early thirties.

From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover