praetor

See also: prætor

English

Alternative forms

Etymology

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.

Pronunciation

Noun

praetor (plural praetors or praetores)

  1. (historical) The title designating a Roman administrative official whose role changed over time:
    1. (originally) A consul in command of the army.
    2. (after 366 BC) An annually-elected curule magistrate, subordinate to the consuls in provincial administration, and who performed some of their duties; numbering initially only one, later two (either of the praetor urbānus (urban praetor) or the praetor peregrīnus (peregrine praetor)), and eventually eighteen.
  2. (by extension) A high civic or administrative official, especially a chief magistrate or mayor. Sometimes used as a title.
  3. (historical, translating Italian "pretore") The title of the chief magistrate, the mayor, and/or the podestà in Palermo, in Verona, and in various other parts of 17th- and 18th-century Italy.

Synonyms

Derived terms

Translations

Further reading

Anagrams


Latin

Etymology

For praeitor, from praeeō (go before, lead).

Pronunciation

  • (Classical) IPA(key): /ˈprae̯.tor/, [ˈprae̯.tɔr]

Noun

praetor m (genitive praetōris); third declension

  1. leader, head, chief, president

Inflection

Third declension.

Case Singular Plural
Nominative praetor praetōrēs
Genitive praetōris praetōrum
Dative praetōrī praetōribus
Accusative praetōrem praetōrēs
Ablative praetōre praetōribus
Vocative praetor praetōrēs

Descendants

References

  • praetor in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  • praetor in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
  • praetor in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition, 1883–1887)
  • praetor in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire Illustré Latin-Français, Hachette
  • Carl Meissner; Henry William Auden (1894) Latin Phrase-Book, London: Macmillan and Co.
    • to appeal to the plebeian tribunes against a praetor's decision: appellare tribunos plebis (in aliqua re a praetore) (Liv. 2. 55)
    • to accuse, denounce a person: nomen alicuius deferre (apud praetorem) (Verr. 2. 38. 94)
  • praetor in Harry Thurston Peck, editor (1898) Harper's Dictionary of Classical Antiquities, New York: Harper & Brothers
  • praetor in Ramminger, Johann (accessed 16 July 2016) Neulateinische Wortliste: Ein Wörterbuch des Lateinischen von Petrarca bis 1700, pre-publication website, 2005-2016
  • praetor in William Smith et al., editor (1890) A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities, London: William Wayte. G. E. Marindin
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