prothonotary

American  

[proh-thon-uh-ter-ee, proh-thuh-noh-tuh-ree] / proʊˈθɒn əˌtɛr i, ˌproʊ θəˈnoʊ tə ri /

noun

plural

prothonotaries

1. a chief clerk or official in certain courts of law.

2. Roman Catholic Church.

   1. any of the seven members of the college of prothonotaries apostolic, charged chiefly with the registry of pontifical acts and canonizations.

   2. an honorary title for certain other prelates.

3. Greek Orthodox Church. the chief secretary of the patriarch of Constantinople.

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prothonotary British  

/ ˌprəʊθəˈnəʊtərɪ, prəʊˈθɒnə-, -trɪ, prəʊˌθɒnəˈtɛərɪəl /

noun

1. (formerly) a chief clerk in certain law courts

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Other Word Forms

• prothonotarial adjective

Etymology

Origin of prothonotary

1400–50; late Middle English < Medieval Latin prōthonotārius, Late Latin prōtonotārius < Greek prōtonotā́rios. See proto-, notary

Example Sentences

Preparing to release a prothonotary warbler after banding it at the Fort Morgan State Historic Site in Fort Morgan, Ala., last month.Credit...

From New York Times • Nov. 14, 2023

Christina O’Brien, an elected prothonotary in Westmoreland County who came to the convention to back Navy veteran Pam Iovino, said she had watched lifelong Democratic voters grow more hostile since Trump’s campaign began.

From Washington Post • Nov. 21, 2017

The area is a breeding place for the prothonotary warbler and habitat for dragonflies and damselflies.

From Washington Post • Nov. 21, 2016

If you’ve never seen an indigo bunting, a rose-breasted grosbeak, or a prothonotary warbler, you really need to watch this film.

From Slate • Jul. 16, 2012

The enterprise was difficult, but the power of her relation, the prothonotary of Aragon, and of the Count Duke de Olivares, overcame every obstacle.

From The History of the Inquisition of Spain from the Time of its Establishment to the Reign of Ferdinand VII. by Llorente, Juan Antonio