curate

American  

[kyoor-it, kyoo-reyt, kyoor-eyt] / ˈkjʊər ɪt, kjʊˈreɪt, ˈkjʊər eɪt /

noun

1. Chiefly British. a member of the clergy employed to assist a rector or vicar.

2. any ecclesiastic entrusted with the cure of souls, as a parish priest.

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verb (used with object)

curated, curating

1. to take charge of (a museum) or organize (an art exhibit).

   to curate a photography show.

2. 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.

curate ¹ British  

/ ˈkjʊərɪt /

noun

1. a clergyman appointed to assist a parish priest

2. a clergyman who has the charge of a parish ( curate-in-charge )

3. an assistant barman

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curate ² British  

/ kjʊəˈreɪt /

verb

1. (tr) to be in charge of (an art exhibition or museum)

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Other Word Forms

• curateship
  noun
• curation
  noun
• subcurate
  noun
• curatic
  adjective
• curatical
  adjective

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

curate curated curating

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

The curate began to groan, beginning to regain consciousness.

From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman

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

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

Or maybe his views will be kept for his self curated YouTube channel.

From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026

She stepped, sideways, into the next gallery over, a special curated exhibit on the theme of Madonna and Child.

From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng

Coldplay's Chris Martin is curating the extravaganza, a first for a football World Cup final and one that has raised concerns over how long the game's halftime break will be.

From Barron's ● Jul. 8, 2026

Exemplar Luxury Group plans to focus on its retail model and curating products for high-income consumers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026

People are increasingly savvy about curating their finances, especially when they get hitched.

From MarketWatch ● Apr. 30, 2026

Apple is frustratingly good at curating to the letter what it chooses to say, even in private.

From BBC ● Apr. 21, 2026

“We are curating the trajectory of who these women are about to become,” says Hampton, who refers to her celebrity-athlete clients as “kids” despite being only 36 herself.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 13, 2026