magistrate — mag·is·trate / ma jə ˌstrāt, strət/ n [Latin magistratus magistracy, magistrate, from magistr magister master, political superior] 1: a civil or judicial official vested with limited judicial powers a family support magistrate a traffic… … Law dictionary
magistrate — ma‧gis‧trate [ˈmædʒstreɪt, strt] noun [countable] LAW someone who judges less serious crimes in a court of law: • The judge overturned a magistrate s decision that the documents should remain confidential. • He filed a suit (= brought a case to … Financial and business terms
magistrate — (n.) late 14c., civil officer in charge of administering laws, from O.Fr. magistrat, from L. magistratus a magistrate, public functionary, originally magisterial rank or office, from magistrare serve as a magistrate, from magister chief, director … Etymology dictionary
magistrate — [maj′istrāt΄, maj′istrit] n. [ME < L magistratus < magister,MASTER] 1. a civil officer empowered to administer the law: the President of the U.S. is sometimes called chief magistrate 2. a minor official with limited judicial powers, as a… … English World dictionary
Magistrate — Mag is*trate, n. [L. magistratus, fr. magister master: cf. F. magistrat. See {Master}.] A person clothed with power as a public civil officer; a public civil officer invested with the executive government, or some branch of it. All Christian… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
magistrate — [n] civil officer bailiff, JP, judge, justice, justice of the peace; concept 354 … New thesaurus
magistrate — ► NOUN ▪ a civil officer who administers the law, especially one who conducts a court concerned with minor offences and holds preliminary hearings for more serious ones. ORIGIN Latin magistratus administrator , from magister master … English terms dictionary
Magistrate — For the musical group, see Magistrates (band). Magistrate Sir Lyman Poore Duff, a former judge of the Supreme Court of Canada Occupation Names Judge, Justice of the Peace, magistrat … Wikipedia
magistrate — A judge or justice of an inferior court; a mayor; a justice of the peace. A judge of court, such as a police court, mayor s court, or justice s court, the jurisdiction of which is restricted to the trial of misdemeanors and the conducting of… … Ballentine's law dictionary
Magistrate — A public civil officer invested with authority. The Hebrew shophetim, or judges, were magistrates having authority in the land (Deut. 1:16, 17). In Judg. 18:7 the word magistrate (A.V.) is rendered in the Revised Version possessing authority … Easton's Bible Dictionary
