Meaning & Definition of Magistrate in English

Detailed Definitions

• Definition: An official who administers the law, typically in a local court.

  Example Sentence: The magistrate presided over the small claims court.

• Definition: A person who has the authority to make legal decisions.

  Example Sentence: The magistrate ruled in favor of the defendant.

• Definition: A judge of a lower court, who handles minor offenses.

  Example Sentence: She appeared before the magistrate for a minor traffic violation.

• Definition: An officer of the state, typically appointed, who has the authority to enforce the law.

  Example Sentence: Magistrates often deal with cases involving public order.

Etymology

Origin: Middle English, from Latin 'magistratus', meaning 'office, authority'.

Synonyms

Common Phrases and Expressions

• magistrate's court: A court in which a magistrate presides over minor criminal cases.
• lay magistrate: A magistrate who is not a qualified lawyer, but serves in a voluntary capacity.

Translations

• Spanish: magistrado

• French: magistrat

• German: Magistrat

• Russian: магистрат

Related Words

• jurisdiction: The official power to make legal decisions and judgments.

• tort: A wrongful act or an infringement of a right leading to civil legal liability.

• prosecutor: A legal representative who brings charges against a defendant in a court of law.

Slang Meanings of magistrate

• Meaning: The big boss in a courtroom.

  Example Sentence: The magistrate really laid down the law today.

• Meaning: A law enforcer on the ground.

  Example Sentence: Don't mess with the magistrate; he knows the rules inside and out.