provost

American  

[proh-vohst, prov-uhst, proh-voh] / ˈproʊ voʊst, ˈprɒv əst, ˈproʊ voʊ /

noun

1. a person appointed to superintend or preside.

2. an administrative officer in any of various colleges and universities who holds high rank and is concerned with the curriculum, faculty appointments, etc.

3. Ecclesiastical. the chief dignitary of a cathedral or collegiate church.

4. the steward or bailiff of a medieval manor or an officer of a medieval administrative district.

5. the mayor of a municipality in Scotland.

6. Obsolete. a prison warden.

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provost British  

/ ˈprɒvəst /

noun

1. an appointed person who superintends or presides

2. the head of certain university colleges or schools

3. (in Scotland) the chairman and civic head of certain district councils or (formerly) of a burgh council Compare convener

4. Church of England the senior dignitary of one of the more recent cathedral foundations

5. RC Church

   1. the head of a cathedral chapter in England and some other countries

   2. (formerly) the member of a monastic community second in authority under the abbot

6. (in medieval times) an overseer, steward, or bailiff in a manor

7. obsolete a prison warder

8. military a military policeman

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Other Word Forms

• provostship
  noun

Etymology

Origin of provost

before 900; Middle English; Old English profost < Medieval Latin prōpositus abbot, prior, provost, literally, (one) placed before, Latin: past participle of prōpōnere. See pro- ¹, posit

Explanation

A provost is an administrator at a college or university. The provost is very important to the school. If you go to a middle school or high school, you've probably never heard of a provost. That's because this is a type of high-ranking administrator at a college or university. The provost usually ranks higher than the deans (who head different departments) but not as high as the president of the school. The provost is involved with many important decisions for the school. This word originally referred to a religious leader, and it still carries a lot of authority.

Example Sentences

"Together, these discoveries highlight the remarkable richness of Earth's biodiversity and underscore the enduring value of natural history collections," said the Museum's Senior Vice President and Provost of Science Cheryl Hayashi.

From Science Daily • Dec. 19, 2025

Under the deal, Laurentian Bank will retain its brand identity and head office in Montreal, with Eric Provost continuing as CEO.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 2, 2025

He said he met with A&M Provost Alan Sams in January last year and asked the university to end the program, or otherwise explain its justification for keeping it.

From Salon • Oct. 16, 2025

It will arrive at the Town House, where the team will be welcomed by Lord Provost David Cameron for a civic reception.

From BBC • May 25, 2025

“You slip the roll in here,” explained Bernard, interrupting Dr. Gaffney, “press down this switch ...” “No, that one,” corrected the Provost, annoyed.

From "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley