curator
noun
Simple meaning
The custodian of a collection.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
kyoorayterSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
kjʊˈɹeɪtɚ
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
The custodian of a collection (as a museum or library)
“The curator carefully inspected each painting before the museum exhibition opened.”
A person who manages, administers or organizes a collection, either independently or employed by a museum, library, archive or zoo.
A person or entity who controls, manages, or oversees another.
One appointed to act as guardian of the estate of a person not legally competent to manage it, or of an absentee; a trustee.
A member of a curatorium, a board for electing university professors, etc.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- C1 · Advanced (estimated)
- Frequency
- Uncommon
- Typical Use
- Neutral / general English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: The custodian of a collection (as a museum or library)
Used this way, curator is a common word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
“The curator carefully inspected each painting before the museum exhibition opened.”
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Common
- Connotation
- Matter-of-fact
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Word family
Words built from the same root.
A medicine or therapy that cures disease or relieve pain.
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What Does It Mean Here?
Words can change meaning depending on context.
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.