magistrate

American  

[maj-uh-streyt, -strit] / ˈmædʒ əˌstreɪt, -strɪt /

noun

1. a civil officer charged with the administration of the law.

2. a 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.

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magistrate British  

/ ˈmædʒɪˌstreɪt, -strɪt /

noun

1. a public officer concerned with the administration of law

2. another name for justice of the peace

3. the former name for district court judge

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Other Word Forms

• magistrateship noun

Etymology

Origin of magistrate

1350–1400; Middle English magistrat < Latin magistrātus magistracy, magistrate, equivalent to magist ( e ) r master + -ātus -ate ³

Example Sentences

A welcome exception came last Thursday when federal magistrate judge Rukhsanah Singh disqualified Beasley Allen from representing plaintiffs in the multidistrict litigation against Johnson & Johnson claiming injuries from talcum powder.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026

A magistrate in the Sri Lankan city of Galle ordered that the 84 bodies should be released to the Iranian embassy.

From BBC • Mar. 13, 2026

Sri Lankan authorities have begun an inquest into the deaths of the sailors at the southern port city of Galle while the chief magistrate Sameera Dodangoda has ordered autopsies.

From Barron's • Mar. 5, 2026

Singh, a citizen of India who lacks legal status in the U.S., was detained by ICE after a magistrate judge ordered him released on bond.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 24, 2026

As she reached for the handle, the door swung in, and the magistrate jerked to a stop when he saw her.

From Anya and the Dragon by Sofiya Pasternack