quaestor

/ˈkwiːstə/

//ˈkwiːstə// noun

"quaestor" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“quaestor” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
8
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - An Ancient Roman official responsible for public revenue and other financial affairs.

Corpus desk

Index EN-quaestor · quaestor · English

quaestor · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "Q" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for quaestor
PropertyValue
Headwordquaestor
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkwiːstə/
Letters8
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “quaestor” in English

quaestorfalls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

quaestor is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈkwiːstə/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

quaestor has no tracked misspelling variants, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English questor, from Latin quaestor, from an old participle form of quaerō. The correct English form is quaestor, spelled Q-U-A-E-S-T-O-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    An Ancient Roman official responsible for public revenue and other financial affairs.
  2. 2
    The Quaestor sacri palatii of the late Roman Empire and Byzantium; first generally a legislator, then judicial official, and eventually an honorary title by the 14th century.
  3. 3
    In the Middle Ages, an officer who announced indulgences.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

These source excerpts show how quaestor appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Decoratus was quæstor in A.D. 508.

Etymology

From Middle English questor, from Latin quaestor, from an old participle form of quaerō.

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "quaestor"?
"quaestor" is spelled Q-U-A-E-S-T-O-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkwiːstə/.
What does "quaestor" mean?
As a noun, "quaestor" means: An Ancient Roman official responsible for public revenue and other financial affairs.
How do you pronounce "quaestor"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "quaestor" is /ˈkwiːstə/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "quaestor"?
From Middle English questor, from Latin quaestor, from an old participle form of quaerō. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list