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definitions

curator

[kyoo-rey-ter, kyoo r-ey- for 1–3; kyoo r-uh-ter for 4]
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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR curator ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the person in charge of a museum, art collection, etc.
a person who selects content for presentation, as on a website.
a manager; superintendent.
Law. a guardian of a minor, lunatic, or other incompetent, especially with regard to his or her property.

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RELATED WORDS

director, custodian, administrator, manager, conservator, keeper, guardian, steward

Nearby words

  1. curatic,
  2. curation,
  3. curative,
  4. curative dose,
  5. curatively,
  6. curatorial,
  7. curaçao,
  8. curb,
  9. curb ball,
  10. curb cut

Origin of curator

1325–75; < Latin, equivalent to cūrā(re) to care for, attend to (see cure) + -tor -tor; replacing Middle English curatour < Anglo-French < Latin as above
Related forms
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for curator

British Dictionary definitions for curator

curator

noun

the administrative head of a museum, art gallery, or similar institution
law, mainly Scot a guardian of a minor, mentally ill person, etc
Derived Formscuratorial (ˌkjʊərəˈtɔːrɪəl), adjectivecuratorship, noun

Word Origin for curator

C14: from Latin: one who cares, from cūrāre to care for, from cūra care
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for curator

curator

n.

mid-14c., from Latin curator "overseer, manager, guardian," agent noun from curatus, past participle of curare (see cure (v.)). Originally of those put in charge of minors, lunatics, etc.; meaning "officer in charge of a museum, library, etc." is from 1660s.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper