rector

[ rek-ter ]

noun

1. a member of the clergy in charge of a parish in the Protestant Episcopal Church.
2. Roman Catholic Church. an ecclesiastic in charge of a college, religious house, or congregation.
3. Anglican Church. a member of the clergy who has the charge of a parish with full possession of all its rights, tithes, etc.
4. the head of certain universities, colleges, and schools.

rector

/ ˈrɛktə; rɛkˈtɔːrɪəl /

noun

1. Church of England a clergyman in charge of a parish in which, as its incumbent, he would formerly have been entitled to the whole of the tithes Compare vicar
2. RC Church a cleric in charge of a college, religious house, or congregation
3. Episcopal Church Scottish Episcopal Church a clergyman in charge of a parish
4. the head of certain schools or colleges
5. (in Scotland) a high-ranking official in a university: now a public figure elected for three years by the students

Derived Forms

• ˈrectorship, noun
• ˈrectorate, noun
• rectorial, adjective

Other Words From

• rec·to·ri·al [rek-, tawr, -ee-, uh, l, -, tohr, -], adjective
• sub·rector noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of rector¹

1350–1400; Middle English rectour < Latin rēctor helmsman, ruler, leader, equivalent to reg ( ere ) to rule + -tor -tor

Word History and Origins

Origin of rector¹

C14: from Latin: director, ruler, from regere to rule

Example Sentences

In February 2010, as Republicans gathered for the prestigious annual Conservative Political Action Conference, or CPAC, at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, D.C., the Center for Immigration Studies’ longtime executive director, Mark Krikorian, sat on a panel about immigration reform in front of a packed audience, along with Robert Rector from the Heritage Foundation and Steve King, the lightning-rod congressman from Iowa.

From Salon

Times staff writers Brittny Mejia, in Las Vegas, and Kevin Rector, in San Francisco, contributed to this report.

From Los Angeles Times

Times staff writer Kevin Rector contributed to this report.

From Los Angeles Times

Times staff writer Kevin Rector contributed to this report.

From Los Angeles Times

Times staff writer Kevin Rector contributed to this report.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• clergyman
• cleric
• headmaster
• pastor
• priest