magistrate
noun
mag·is·trate
ˈma-jə-ˌstrāt 
-strət
: an official entrusted with administration of the laws: such as
a
: a principal official exercising governmental powers over a major political unit (such as a nation)
b
: a local official exercising administrative and often judicial functions
c
: a local judiciary official having limited original jurisdiction (see jurisdiction sense 1) especially in criminal cases
Examples of magistrate in a Sentence
chose to take their case before the local magistrate
Recent Examples on the Web
That history dates back to 1909, when the law in Oak Lawn was enforced by a village marshal, police magistrates and patrolmen.
—
Janice Neumann, Chicago Tribune, 9 July 2025
Instead, the prosecutors want a third party, like a judicial magistrate, to decide whether a young person should be held.
—Mikenzie Frost, Baltimore Sun, 26 June 2025
Armored vehicles and bulletproof vests: Fears of violence ahead of Mexico’s judicial elections
04:18
CNN —
Mexico is scheduled to hold its first-ever judicial elections on Sunday, with hundreds of judges, magistrates and justices on the ballot across the country.
—Michael Rios, CNN Money, 28 May 2025
The commonwealth has worked hard to promote the use of informal and formal diversion by police, clerk magistrates, district attorneys, and judges.
—Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for magistrate
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Janice Neumann, Chicago Tribune, 9 July 2025
Instead, the prosecutors want a third party, like a judicial magistrate, to decide whether a young person should be held.
—Mikenzie Frost, Baltimore Sun, 26 June 2025
Armored vehicles and bulletproof vests: Fears of violence ahead of Mexico’s judicial elections
04:18
CNN —
Mexico is scheduled to hold its first-ever judicial elections on Sunday, with hundreds of judges, magistrates and justices on the ballot across the country.
—Michael Rios, CNN Money, 28 May 2025
The commonwealth has worked hard to promote the use of informal and formal diversion by police, clerk magistrates, district attorneys, and judges.
—Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for magistrate
Cite this Entry
“Magistrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/magistrate. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
magistrate
noun
mag·is·trate
ˈmaj-ə-ˌstrāt
-strət
1
: a chief officer of government (as over a nation)
the president is the chief magistrate
2
: a local official with some judicial power
Legal Definition
magistrate
noun
mag·is·trate
ˈma-jə-ˌstrāt, -strət
1
: a civil or judicial official vested with limited judicial powers
a traffic magistrate
2
a
: a municipal, state, or federal judicial officer commonly authorized to issue warrants, hear minor cases, and conduct preliminary or pretrial hearings
called also magistrate judge
b
: an official (as a judge) authorized to perform the role or function of a magistrate
magistrate means an officer having power to issue a warrant for the arrest of a person charged with a public offense—Arizona Revised Statutes
Arizona Revised StatutesEtymology
Latin magistratus magistracy, magistrate, from magistr-, magister master, political superior
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