magisterial
Americanadjective
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of, relating to, or befitting a master; of importance or consequence; authoritative; weighty.
a magisterial pronouncement by the director of the board.
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imperious; domineering.
a magisterial tone of command.
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of or befitting a magistrate or the office of a magistrate.
The judge spoke with magisterial gravity.
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of the rank of a magistrate.
magisterial standing.
adjective
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commanding; authoritative
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domineering; dictatorial
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of or relating to a teacher or person of similar status
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of or relating to a magistrate
Other Word Forms
- magisterially adverb
- magisterialness noun
- unmagisterial adjective
Etymology
Origin of magisterial
First recorded in 1625–35; from Late Latin magisteriālis “pertaining to a teacher or magistrate” (equivalent to Latin magister “magistrate, teacher, master” + -ālis ); master, -al 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It’s a magisterial ode to Americana, zeroing in on our foundational constitutional saga.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 12, 2025
Compared with Pacino’s outraged and outrageous Cohn, spraying a vulgarian’s spittle across Nichols’ magisterial “Angels,” Strong’s performance is a model of white-knuckle control, swaggering when Cohn exerts his power, wilting when he can’t.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 7, 2024
It’s been 50 years since the publication of The Power Broker, Robert Caro’s magisterial biography of New York City master builder Robert Moses.
From Slate • Sep. 16, 2024
It’s a magisterial work that taught me more about myself than any other book I’ve ever read.
From Salon • Sep. 1, 2024
“Chaplain,” he announced with magisterial rigidity, “we charge you formally with being Washington Irving and taking capricious and unlicensed liberties in censoring the letters of officers and enlisted men. Are you guilty or innocent?”
From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
