curator

American  

[kyoo-rey-ter, kyoor-ey-, kyoor-uh-ter] / kyʊˈreɪ tər, ˈkyʊər eɪ-, ˈkyʊər ə tər /

noun

1. the person in charge of a museum, art collection, etc.

2. a person who selects content for presentation, as on a website.

3. a manager; superintendent.

4. Law. a guardian of a minor or any other person who is unable to care for their own affairs, especially with regard to their property.

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curator British  

/ ˌkjʊərəˈtɔːrɪəl, kjʊəˈreɪtə /

noun

1. the administrative head of a museum, art gallery, or similar institution

2. law a guardian of a minor, mentally ill person, etc

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Other Word Forms

• curatorial adjective
• curatorship noun
• subcurator noun
• subcuratorial adjective
• subcuratorship noun

Etymology

Origin of curator

First recorded in 1325–75; from Latin, equivalent to cūrā(re) “to care for, attend to” ( cure ) + -tor -tor

Example Sentences

“You get to the Americas, and the place is giant,” said Eric D. Singleton, a curator at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City.

From Los Angeles Times

In 1913, on the advice of a British Museum curator, Routledge sailed to Easter Island, where she would carry out the first scholarly study of the island’s monuments and traditions.

From The Wall Street Journal

Corinna Gardner, senior curator of design and digital at the V&A, said the snapshot of YouTube's early days marked an "important moment in the history of the internet and digital design".

From BBC

The VCR transformed Americans from passive viewers into active curators of their entertainment, laying the groundwork for everything from mixtapes to Netflix.

From The Wall Street Journal

Alicia Foster, curator, art historian and novelist, said of John: "Right from being very young she had this idea she would be a great artist and that nothing would stop her."

From BBC

Related Words

• administrator
• conservator
• custodian
• director
• manager