- The definition of a magistrate is a civil or lay judge or other official who is responsible for administering and enforcing the laws, usually by holding hearings on minor offenses.
A judge that hears traffic ticket cases and fines people is an example of a magistrate.
A magistrate considering a case.
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noun
- a civil officer empowered to administer the law: the President of the U.S. is sometimes called chief magistrate
- a minor official with limited judicial powers, as a justice of the peace or judge of a police court
Origin: Middle English from Classical Latin magistratus from magister, master
Related Forms:
- magistrateship noun
- magistratical adjective
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
noun
A civil officer with power to administer and enforce law, as:
a. A local member of the judiciary having limited jurisdiction, especially in criminal cases.
b. A minor official, such as a justice of the peace, having administrative and limited judicial authority.
Origin: Middle English magistrat, from Old French, from Latin magistrātus, from magister, magistr-, master; see meg- in Indo-European roots.
magistrate - Legal Definition
n
A judicial officer of
limited jurisdiction or responsibility; colloquially used as a synonym for
judge.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.