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 Words From

• 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

Originating in the KwaZulu-Natal provinces of South Africa, on the Eastern Cape, the bird of paradise found its way to the Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens in San Marino sometime before 1932, when the institution’s record-keeping began, explains Kathy Musial, senior curator of living collections.

From Los Angeles Times

“These are three very deserving toys that showcase the wide range of how people play,” said Christopher Bensch, Vice President for Collections and Chief Curator of the museum.

From Salon

With the notable exception of David Thaxton’s Max, Norma’s watchdog servant and curator of her glory days, the ensemble that populates this Hollywood world is young, diverse and costumed to reflect today’s incoming generation of entertainment industry dreamers.

From Los Angeles Times

Mr Hughes' research into soldiers who died during World War Two is on display at the Home Front Museum in Llandudno, where he is the curator.

From BBC

Or might the recently appointed chair of the LA28 Cultural Olympiad, Maria Anna Bell, a former Museum of Contemporary Art board chair, and her advisor, Nora Halpern, an art historian and curator based in Washington, D.C., the last two decades, find novel inspiration from Fitzpatrick’s brilliantly curated festival?

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• administrator
• conservator
• custodian
• director
• manager