a public officer concerned with the administration of law - another name for justice of the peace
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
mag•is•trate /ˈmædʒəˌstreɪt, -strɪt/USA pronunciation
n. [countable]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- Governmenta civil officer who administers the law.
- Governmenta judicial officer, as a justice of the peace.
mag•is•trate
(maj′ə strāt′, -strit),USA pronunciation n.
mag′is•trate′ship, n.
- Governmenta civil officer charged with the administration of the law.
- Governmenta 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.
- Latin magistrātus magistracy, magistrate, equivalent. to magist(e)r master + -ātus -ate3
- Middle English magistrat 1350–1400
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
'magistrate' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
Fielding
- Lord Provost
- Pm
- Riot Act
- Worship
- aedile
- affirm
- alcalde
- alderman
- apparitor
- appear
- archon
- ate
- bailie
- bailiff
- beak
- before
- bench
- burgomaster
- corregidor
- demiurge
- district court
- doge
- fasces
- gonfalonier
- governor
- gymnasiarch
- haul
- hearing
- information
- intercede
- judge
- jurat
- justice
- justice of the peace
- justicer
- lay
- legate
- magisterial
- magistracy
- magistrate's court
- magistrates' court
- mayor
- mule
- podesta
- police court
- prefect
- prefer
- present
- prior