curator

[kyoo-rey-ter, kyoo r-ey- for 1–3; kyoo r-uh-ter for 4]

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.

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 formscu·ra·to·ri·al

[kyoo r-uh-tawr-ee-uh l, -tohr-] /ˌkyʊər əˈtɔr i əl, -ˈtoʊr-/, adjectivecu·ra·tor·ship, nounsub·cu·ra·tor, nounsub·cu·ra·to·ri·al, adjectivesub·cu·ra·tor·ship, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for curator

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

Examples from the Web for curator

Contemporary Examples of curator

The curator had wanted the artists to produce work while they were in Europe in order to prove their talent to any skeptics.
North Korea’s Propaganda Art Exhibit in London
Nico Hines
November 6, 2014
To find out more, The Daily Beast spoke to curator Donald Albrecht.
How Jews Created American Modernism
Andrew Romano
August 1, 2014
Bringing pieces from the two collections together gives a fresh perspective to them, says Janet Bishop, an SFMOMA curator.
Hello, ‘Gorgeous’: Grit and Glamour In San Francisco
Emily Wilson
June 20, 2014
“That was brought to us by a curator at the Museum of Modern Art in New York,” he explains.
Kraftwerk Speak: The German Electropop Act Discuss ‘Autobahn,’ Technology, and Hint at New Album
Douglas Wolk
April 29, 2014
A Call To Action is, with Carter acting as curator and commentator, the public record and statement of that conference.
Jimmy Carter Was a Lot Better President Than Almost Anyone Ever Admits
David Masciotra
April 1, 2014

Historical Examples of curator

Every now and then he and the curator fell back on each other's company.
Marriage la mode
Mrs. Humphry Ward
The whole collected by the Curator at Aylestone, August, 1883.
Practical Taxidermy
Montagu Browne
Every six years must I pay an attorney to dispute and quarrel with the curator.
The Life and Adventures of Baron Trenck
Baron Trenck
Therefore, not only is he the curator of souls, but also the representative of the government.
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 (Vol 28 of 55)
Various
The curator of his city sent him in chains to the proconsul.
The History of The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire
Edward Gibbon

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

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.