magistrate
noun
mag·is·trate
ˈma-jə-ˌstrāt 
-strət
: an official entrusted with administration of the laws: such as
a
: a principal official exercising governmental powers over a major political unit (such as a nation)
b
: a local official exercising administrative and often judicial functions
c
: a local judiciary official having limited original jurisdiction (see jurisdiction sense 1) especially in criminal cases
Examples of magistrate in a Sentence
chose to take their case before the local magistrate
Recent Examples on the Web
Hardy sued the Idaho State Police members involved in her arrest after an Ada County magistrate judge dismissed her battery charge.
—
Sally Krutzig, Idaho Statesman, 7 Mar. 2025
In France, trials for crimes punishable by up to fifteen to twenty years in prison are judged by a jury of professional magistrates.
—Katie Ebner-Landy, The New Yorker, 22 Feb. 2025
The family of Taylor Lowery obtained the footage after a federal magistrate judge ordered the city to relinquish it as part of a wrongful death lawsuit filed in August.
—Erik Ortiz, NBC News, 1 Feb. 2025
The Doge was also, in medieval times, the chief magistrate of city-states such as Venice and Genoa, and acted as a judge to decide questions brought before a court of justice.
—Jerrold Lundquist, Forbes, 6 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for magistrate
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Sally Krutzig, Idaho Statesman, 7 Mar. 2025
In France, trials for crimes punishable by up to fifteen to twenty years in prison are judged by a jury of professional magistrates.
—Katie Ebner-Landy, The New Yorker, 22 Feb. 2025
The family of Taylor Lowery obtained the footage after a federal magistrate judge ordered the city to relinquish it as part of a wrongful death lawsuit filed in August.
—Erik Ortiz, NBC News, 1 Feb. 2025
The Doge was also, in medieval times, the chief magistrate of city-states such as Venice and Genoa, and acted as a judge to decide questions brought before a court of justice.
—Jerrold Lundquist, Forbes, 6 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for magistrate
Cite this Entry
“Magistrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/magistrate. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
magistrate
noun
mag·is·trate
ˈmaj-ə-ˌstrāt
-strət
1
: a chief officer of government (as over a nation)
the president is the chief magistrate
2
: a local official with some judicial power
Legal Definition
magistrate
noun
mag·is·trate
ˈma-jə-ˌstrāt, -strət
1
: a civil or judicial official vested with limited judicial powers
a traffic magistrate
2
a
: a municipal, state, or federal judicial officer commonly authorized to issue warrants, hear minor cases, and conduct preliminary or pretrial hearings
called also magistrate judge
b
: an official (as a judge) authorized to perform the role or function of a magistrate
magistrate means an officer having power to issue a warrant for the arrest of a person charged with a public offense—Arizona Revised Statutes
Arizona Revised StatutesEtymology
Latin magistratus magistracy, magistrate, from magistr-, magister master, political superior
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