curate
Americannoun
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Chiefly British. a member of the clergy employed to assist a rector or vicar.
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any ecclesiastic entrusted with the cure of souls, as a parish priest.
verb (used with object)
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to take charge of (a museum) or organize (an art exhibit).
to curate a photography show.
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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.
noun
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a clergyman appointed to assist a parish priest
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a clergyman who has the charge of a parish ( curate-in-charge )
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an assistant barman
verb
Other Word Forms
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.
Vocabulary lists containing curate
"A Modest Proposal," Vocabulary from the satire
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"A Modest Proposal" by Jonathan Swift
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Twelfth Night
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Like Camallere, they used AI image generators to carefully curate each scene in the story.
From Barron's ● Jun. 30, 2026
"When an opportunity came along to curate a collection of essays, the first word that just fell out of my mouth was 'class'," she said.
From BBC ● May 17, 2026
But they had this little festival that they had in-house that they wanted me to curate.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 4, 2026
Instead, Vargo opted to work with a custom builder she knew who could curate a home exactly to her liking.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 24, 2026
Thomas Malthus had been a curate at the Okewood Chapel in Surrey by daytime, but he was a closet economist by night.
From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee
Dive into our curated guide to the county’s top affordable public pools, community swim centers and splash zones for sport and play.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026
Wellness as practiced and performed by Kennedy is certainly curated to project manliness.
From Slate ● Jul. 29, 2026
Darren Walker, president of Anonymous Content, paid $4.2 million for a Paul Revere Williams-designed house in Los Angeles, filling it with sleek furnishings and a curated collection of Black art.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
Matt Damon is embracing a new chapter in life—and his carefully curated real estate portfolio reflects the family-first priorities that have guided him for years.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 22, 2026
The blue day—even the watery reflections in the stained-glass windows seemed curated, cultivated, perfected.
From "Tradition" by Brendan Kiely
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
Millington, who is curating the exhibition, said she felt Birmingham had forgotten "this prince of pop art".
From BBC ● May 17, 2026
“This is curating a backdrop for a legal showdown that may surely come,” Goodwin said.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 9, 2026
People are increasingly savvy about curating their finances, especially when they get hitched.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 30, 2026
Dubai has invested heavily in tourism, curating a global brand image that has attracted investors and talent from all over the world.
From Barron's ● Mar. 1, 2026
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
