# rector

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈɹɛktɚ/ · frequency rank #18,673

## Definitions
1. In the Anglican Church, a cleric in charge of a parish and who owns the tithes of it.
2. In the Roman Catholic Church, a cleric with managerial as well as spiritual responsibility for a church or other institution.
3. A priest or bishop in the Orthodox Church who is in charge of a parish or in an administrative leadership position in a theological seminary or academy.
4. In a Protestant church, a pastor in charge of a church with administrative and pastoral leadership combined.
5. A headmaster or headmistress in various educational institutions, e.g., a university.
6. An official in Scottish universities who heads the university court and is elected by and represents the student body.

## Etymology
Inherited from Middle English rectour, rector, from Old French rector, rectour and Latin rēctor.

## Easily confused with
- **rotor** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rector-vs-rotor)
- **recur** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rector-vs-recur)
- **rectum** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rector-vs-rectum)
- **retort** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rector-vs-retort)
- **Reston** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rector-vs-reston)
- **renter** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rector-vs-renter)
- **Renton** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rector-vs-renton)
- **restore** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rector-vs-restore)
- **rectory** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rector-vs-rectory)
- **recon** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/recon-vs-rector)
- **record** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/record-vs-rector)
- **reckon** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/reckon-vs-rector)
- **raptor** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/raptor-vs-rector)
- **rectal** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rectal-vs-rector)
- **reactor** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/reactor-vs-rector)
- **realtor** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/realtor-vs-rector)
- **receptor** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/receptor-vs-rector)

## Common misspellings (9)
`erctor`, `rcetor`, `recctor`, `recotr`, `rectorr`, `rectro`, `recttor`, `retcor`, `rrector`

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