curator

[ kyoo-rey-ter, kyoor-ey- kyoor-uh-ter ]

noun

1. the person in charge of a museum, art collection, etc.
2. a person who selects content for presentation, as on a website.
3. a manager; superintendent.
4. Law. a guardian of a minor or any other person who is unable to care for their own affairs, especially with regard to their property.

curator

/ ˌkjʊərəˈtɔːrɪəl; kjʊəˈreɪtə /

noun

1. the administrative head of a museum, art gallery, or similar institution
2. law a guardian of a minor, mentally ill person, etc

Derived Forms

• cuˈratorˌship, noun
• curatorial, adjective

Other Word Forms

• cu·ra·to·ri·al [ky, oo, r-, uh, -, tawr, -ee-, uh, l, -, tohr, -], adjective
• cu·rator·ship noun
• subcu·rator noun
• subcu·ra·tori·al adjective
• subcu·rator·ship noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of curator¹

First recorded in 1325–75; from Latin, equivalent to cūrā(re) “to care for, attend to” ( cure ) + -tor -tor

Word History and Origins

Origin of curator¹

C14: from Latin: one who cares, from cūrāre to care for, from cūra care

Example Sentences

But then there’s the next layer — Cami as a curator, not just of aesthetics but of ideas, thought pieces and dissertations on everything you can think of.

From Los Angeles Times

But recently curators were looking through the museum's catalogue and realised there was a second book that that had been overlooked.

From BBC

Far from it: Nadel, a museum curator and comics expert, expresses palpable admiration for Crumb, and sympathy for a peripatetic upbringing that could quietly be as macabre as anything he drew.

From Los Angeles Times

Scroll through for a personalized curator’s note and preview of the artworks on view.

From Los Angeles Times

Kylie Lev, curator at the Steinhart Aquarium at San Francisco’s California Academy of Sciences, said it showed that researchers could facilitate breeding at a level to support reintroduction.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• administrator
• conservator
• custodian
• director
• manager