as in judges
a public official having authority to decide questions of law
chose to take their case before the local magistrate
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Recent Examples of magistrates
Now, under the law named after her, magistrates and judges in North Carolina must be stricter when setting release conditions for people charged with violent crimes.
—
Ryan Oehrli,
Charlotte Observer,
8 June 2026
Of the 931 federal judges and magistrates who responded, only 15 had ever fielded a challenge to audiovisual evidence as a deepfake.
—
Lars Daniel,
Forbes.com,
14 May 2026
Judge Amanda Tipples, who was assisted by two magistrates, said that the initial report made by Brooks did not mention damage to the phone, but referred to harassment instead.
—
ABC News,
1 May 2026
In 16th-century Italy, gamblers could wager on the election of civic magistrates and the outcome of papal conclaves.
—
Parker Bach,
The Conversation,
31 Mar. 2026
Petro did not participate in the attack, which left several guerrillas and around half the high court's magistrates dead.
—
Arkansas Online,
21 Mar. 2026
When are magistrates going to keep bad guys behind bars?
—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
7 Mar. 2026
Unlike the first trial in Avignon, which was overseen by five professional magistrates, the appeal trial was judged by a jury, and this time citizens had their say.
—
Gaby Wood,
Vogue,
21 Feb. 2026
The district judge declined her jurisdictional prerogatives, saying that the case was too serious to be settled in a magistrates’ court and must be heard by a Crown Court, which deals with the most severe criminal offenses.
—
Rosa Lyster,
Harpers Magazine,
30 Dec. 2025
Ryan Oehrli,
Charlotte Observer,
8 June 2026
Of the 931 federal judges and magistrates who responded, only 15 had ever fielded a challenge to audiovisual evidence as a deepfake.
—
Lars Daniel,
Forbes.com,
14 May 2026
Judge Amanda Tipples, who was assisted by two magistrates, said that the initial report made by Brooks did not mention damage to the phone, but referred to harassment instead.
—
ABC News,
1 May 2026
In 16th-century Italy, gamblers could wager on the election of civic magistrates and the outcome of papal conclaves.
—
Parker Bach,
The Conversation,
31 Mar. 2026
Petro did not participate in the attack, which left several guerrillas and around half the high court's magistrates dead.
—
Arkansas Online,
21 Mar. 2026
When are magistrates going to keep bad guys behind bars?
—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
7 Mar. 2026
Unlike the first trial in Avignon, which was overseen by five professional magistrates, the appeal trial was judged by a jury, and this time citizens had their say.
—
Gaby Wood,
Vogue,
21 Feb. 2026
The district judge declined her jurisdictional prerogatives, saying that the case was too serious to be settled in a magistrates’ court and must be heard by a Crown Court, which deals with the most severe criminal offenses.
—
Rosa Lyster,
Harpers Magazine,
30 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for magistrates
Noun
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Most of the judges were Kansas City Barbecue Society-certified, and the competition used a blind judging process to determine the winners.
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The president has harshly criticized judges who have ruled against him, and his administration has sometimes defied their orders.
Noun
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Assembly Bill 46, carried by Assemblymember Stephanie Nguyen, D-Elk Grove, removes a legal standard that restricted courts’ ability to deny diversion.
-
Walton had found his calling in the courts and lawyers, then as now, often dabbled in politics.
Cite this Entry
“Magistrates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/magistrates. Accessed 3 Jul. 2026.
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