# magistrate

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈmæd͡ʒ.ɪˌstɹeɪt/ · frequency rank #11,068

## Definitions
1. A judicial officer with limited authority to administer and enforce the law. A magistrate's court may have jurisdiction in civil or criminal cases, or both.
2. A high official of the state or a municipality in ancient Greece or Rome.
3. A comparable official in medieval or modern institutions.
4. A master's degree.

## Etymology
From Middle English magistrat, maiestrat (“magistrate; magistracy”), borrowed from Latin magistrātus. See also -ate (forms nouns denoting rank or office).

## Easily confused with
- **magistrates** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/magistrate-vs-magistrates)

## Common misspellings (15)
`amgistrate`, `maggistrate`, `magisrtate`, `magisstrate`, `magistarte`, `magistraet`, `magistratte`, `magistrrate`, `magistrtae`, `magisttrate`, `magitsrate`, `magsitrate`, `maigstrate`, `mgaistrate`, `mmagistrate`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/magistrate