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
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
Judges and magistrates are required to follow the law and constitutional standards in every case and cannot make decisions based on ideology or public pressure.
—Charlotte Observer, 13 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
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
Judges and magistrates are required to follow the law and constitutional standards in every case and cannot make decisions based on ideology or public pressure.
—Charlotte Observer, 13 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
-
In 2026, from a field of thousands of entries spanning every major whisky-producing nation, the judges awarded exactly 726 medals across the whisky and whiskey categories.—
Joseph V Micallef,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2026
-
In practice, reformers say, bail amounts have largely been set by vibes, with judges given broad leeway to use discretion.—
Sonja Sharp,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2026
Noun
-
In the motion submitted May 1, Cassie argued that Howard's lawsuit should be transferred out of California courts and into a New York court, where dozens of similar Diddy claims were already filed.—
Tracy Wright,
FOXNews.com,
4 June 2026
-
Leave this warehouse-sized structure for the light of day, and nearby are firepits, horseshoes, Bocce, tennis and pickleball courts, and even a soccer field.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
3 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Magistrates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/magistrates. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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