magistrates

Definition of magistratesnext
plural of magistrate
as in judges
a public official having authority to decide questions of law chose to take their case before the local magistrate

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of magistrates When are magistrates going to keep bad guys behind bars? Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 7 Mar. 2026 Kwok's charge carried a maximum prison term of seven years, but his case was heard at the magistrates’ courts, which normally hand down sentences of no more than two years. ABC News, 26 Feb. 2026 Unlike the first trial in Avignon, which was overseen by five professional magistrates, the appeal trial was judged by a jury, and this time citizens had their say. Gaby Wood, Vogue, 21 Feb. 2026 Judges and magistrates are required to follow the law and constitutional standards in every case and cannot make decisions based on ideology or public pressure. Charlotte Observer, 13 Feb. 2026 The district judge declined her jurisdictional prerogatives, saying that the case was too serious to be settled in a magistrates’ court and must be heard by a Crown Court, which deals with the most severe criminal offenses. Rosa Lyster, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025 Investigating magistrates have filed preliminary charges against three men and one woman who were arrested last month. CBS News, 25 Nov. 2025 The situation, the magistrates conceded, was tricky. Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025 Johnston’s proposal originally abolished the city’s parking magistrates, eliminating any non-court options for residents who want to appeal their ticket. Elliott Wenzler, Denver Post, 21 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for magistrates
Noun
  • The question of whether the Administration’s bond policy is lawful will almost certainly reach the Supreme Court, but in the meantime hundreds of federal judges have taken issue with it.
    Jonathan Blitzer, New Yorker, 15 Mar. 2026
  • Developers and states sued, and federal judges allowed all five to resume construction, essentially concluding that the government did not show that the national security risk was so imminent that construction must halt.
    Jennifer McDermott, Los Angeles Times, 15 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Also on Tuesday, the board approved three separate resolutions to accept a total of $69,500 in grant funding from the United States Tennis Association for resurfacing of the courts at the city's tennis center.
    Joseph Flaherty, Arkansas Online, 18 Mar. 2026
  • The most likely outcome is simply more litigation and more conflicting decisions, including over whether former NBA players may one day join former G Leaguers and European professionals on college courts.
    Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 18 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Magistrates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/magistrates. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.

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