Definition of PRAETOR

praetor

Meanings

Plural: praetores, praetors

Noun

  • an annually elected magistrate of the ancient Roman Republic
  • The title designating a Roman administrative official whose role changed over time:
  • A consul in command of the army.
  • The title designating a Roman administrative official whose role changed over time:
  • 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.
  • A high civic or administrative official, especially a chief magistrate or mayor. Sometimes used as a title.
  • 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.

Origin / Etymology

From Middle English pretour, pretor, 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”) + eō (“I go”); compare the Italian pretore, the Portuguese pretor, and the Spanish pretor.

Synonyms

pretor, provost

Scrabble Score: 9

praetor is a valid Scrabble (US) TWL word
praetor is a valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
praetor is a valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 10

praetor is a valid Words With Friends word