Dictionary.com
definitions

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.

RELATED WORDS

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

Nearby words

  1. provocation,
  2. provocative,
  3. provoke,
  4. provoking,
  5. provolone,
  6. provost court,
  7. provost guard,
  8. provost marshal,
  9. provost sergeant,
  10. prow

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

Examples from the Web for provost

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
  1. the head of a cathedral chapter in England and some other countries
  2. (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

provost

n.

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.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper