n.
A civil officer with power to administer and enforce law, as:
- A local member of the judiciary having limited jurisdiction, especially in criminal cases.
- A minor official, such as a justice of the peace, having administrative and limited judicial authority.
[Middle English magistrat, from Old French, from Latin magistrātus, from magister, magistr-, master.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
