provost

[proh-vohst, prov-uh st or, esp. in military usage, proh-voh]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR provost ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a person appointed to superintend or preside.

an administrative officer in any of various colleges and universities who holds high rank and is concerned with the curriculum, faculty appointments, etc.

Ecclesiastical. the chief dignitary of a cathedral or collegiate church.

the steward or bailiff of a medieval manor or an officer of a medieval administrative district.

the mayor of a municipality in Scotland.

Obsolete. a prison warden.

Origin of provost

before 900; Middle English; Old English profost < Medieval Latin prōpositus abbot, prior, provost, literally, (one) placed before, Latin: past participle of prōpōnere. See pro-¹, posit

Related formspro·vost·ship, noun

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

Related Words for provost

head, official, supervisor, executive, director, jailer, chief, officer, magistrate, keeper

Examples from the Web for provost

Contemporary Examples of provost

Previously, she was the president of the University of Pennsylvania and provost of Yale University.
2012 Summit: Who's On Stage
March 6, 2012
As Stanford provost, Rice dismissed, on budgetary grounds, a popular Latina administrator.
Growing Up Condi
Stephen L. Carter
October 11, 2010
The UCL president and provost, Professor Malcolm Grant is “deeply saddened by these events.”
My Classmate, the Plane Bomber
Venetia Thompson
December 30, 2009
And then another woman insisted I was the provost of a small university in Southern Florida.
Jane Lynch on Playing Meryl Streep's Sister
Marshall Heyman
August 6, 2009

Historical Examples of provost

It was Provost, my first professor, who had come to encourage me.
My Double Life
Sarah Bernhardt
Provost was tall, his silvery hair was blown about, and he had a droll face.
My Double Life
Sarah Bernhardt
Provost heard my "cue" on the stage, and pushed me gently forward.
My Double Life
Sarah Bernhardt
"Well, you needn't pay any heed to the Provost, need you," Mr. Quinn retorted.
Changing Winds
St. John G. Ervine
The provost's men are beating the country for the blackguard.
The Snare
Rafael Sabatini

British Dictionary definitions for provost

provost

noun

an appointed person who superintends or presides

the head of certain university colleges or schools

(in Scotland) the chairman and civic head of certain district councils or (formerly) of a burgh councilCompare convener (def. 2)

Church of England the senior dignitary of one of the more recent cathedral foundations

RC Church

the head of a cathedral chapter in England and some other countries
(formerly) the member of a monastic community second in authority under the abbot

(in medieval times) an overseer, steward, or bailiff in a manor

obsolete a prison warder

(prəˈvəʊ) British and Canadian military a military policeman

Word Origin for provost

Old English profost, from Medieval Latin prōpositus placed at the head (of), from Latin praepōnere to place first, from prae- before + pōnere to put

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 provost

Old English profost, reinforced by Old French cognate provost, both from Late Latin propositus (reinforced by Old French cognate provost), from Latin propositus/praepositus "a chief, prefect" (source of Old Provençal probost, Old High German probost, German Propst), literally "placed before, in charge of," from past participle of praeponere "put before" (see preposition). Provost marshal first recorded 1510s.