curator

[kyoo-rey-ter, kyoor-ey-, kyoor-uh-ter]

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.

curator

/ 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

Other Word Forms

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of curator¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of curator¹

C14: from Latin: one who cares, from cūrāre to care for, from cūra care

Example Sentences

Yes, we need museum curators to spread history and knowledge, but not ideology.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The senior curator described the moment Ms Lewis got in touch regarding donating memorabilia to the museum as a "dream call".

Read more on BBC

Senior curator Melissa Blanchflower says the Margate gallery is "inviting the public to come and have this visual experience" and nothing replaces "being in front of the painting".

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Then, just as the public, the curators, and the archaeologists waited anxiously to see what would be discovered next, the divers announced they had run into a serious problem.

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The thief encountered no resistance as he broke a display case with a sledgehammer and helped himself to around 100 gold Huguenot crosses, according to curator Denis Carbonnier, who saw the security footage.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• administrator 
• conservator 
• custodian 
• director 
• manager