magistrate
Americannoun
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a civil officer charged with the administration of the law.
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a minor judicial officer, as a justice of the peace or the judge of a police court, having jurisdiction to try minor criminal cases and to conduct preliminary examinations of persons charged with serious crimes.
noun
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a public officer concerned with the administration of law
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another name for justice of the peace
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the former name for district court judge
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of magistrate
1350–1400; Middle English magistrat < Latin magistrātus magistracy, magistrate, equivalent to magist ( e ) r master + -ātus -ate 3
Explanation
A magistrate is a person who lays down the law — a judge or other civil authority who conducts a court. Minor offenses are often brought before a magistrate. Magistrate goes back to the Latin magistratus, meaning "administrator." Lawmakers and judges might have a role in making and changing laws; magistrates focus on carrying out the laws on a case-by-case basis. A magistrate doesn't usually make final rulings on murders or high-level cases. He or she might hear cases about things like property damage or traffic violations.
Vocabulary lists containing magistrate
"The Crucible" -- Vocabulary from all 4 Acts
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Occupations
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Treasure Island
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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.
Mackay, who the court heard had served for 20 years as a magistrate in the family courts, stood trial in April and was convicted of dangerous driving.
From BBC • May 18, 2026
The magistrate determined that he should be transferred to the Colombo prison hospital.
From BBC • May 9, 2026
In court documents tied to a different case, in October 2025, a magistrate judge mentioned “an unrelated white-collar investigation involving the Governor of Puerto Rico.”
From Salon • May 6, 2026
A federal magistrate judge earlier apologized to Allen for his jail conditions, which included suicide watch and constant lighting.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 5, 2026
When the war was over, while Colonel Aureliano Buendía was sneaking about through the narrow trails of permanent subversion, General Moncada was named magistrate of Macondo.
From "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
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.
