Praetor Definition

prētər
noun
A magistrate of ancient Rome, next below a consul in rank.
Webster's New World

(Roman history) The title designating a Roman administrative official whose role changed over time:

Wiktionary

(by extension) A high civic or administrative official, especially a chief magistrate or mayor. Sometimes used as a title.

Wiktionary

(in Italian seventeenth- and eighteenth-century history, translating the Italian "pretore") The title of the chief magistrate, the mayor, and/or the podestà in Palermo, in Verona, and in various other parts of Italy.

Wiktionary
Synonyms:

Other Word Forms of Praetor

Noun

Singular:
praetor
Plural:
praetores, praetors

Origin of Praetor

  • From the Anglo-Norman pretour, pretore, the Middle French preteur (from the Old French pretor; compare the Modern French préteur), and their etymon, the Classical Latin praetor (“leader", “commander", “magistrate"); the Latin praetor being contracted from *praeitor (“one who goes before"), from praeeō (“I go before"), from prae (“before") + (“I go"); compare the Italian pretore, the Portuguese pretor, and the Spanish pretor.

    From Wiktionary

  • Middle English pretor from Old French from Latin praetor perhaps from praeīre to go before prae- pre- īre to go ei- in Indo-European roots

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

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