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
North Carolina’s Speaker of the House, Republican Destin Hall, sponsored the Pretrial Integrity Act that in 2023 limited magistrates’ ability to set conditions of release.
—
Julia Coin, Charlotte Observer, 17 Sep. 2025
On June 1, commemorating one year since his unconstitutional reelection, Bukele appeared on national television from the National Theater, surrounded by his deputies, his loyal magistrates and prosecutor, and many soldiers.
—Óscar Martínez & Carlos Martínez, The Dial, 16 Sep. 2025
Then her latest statement took a different tack and blamed courts and magistrates for allowing repeat offenders to remain on the streets.
—Wesley Bruer, CNN Money, 10 Sep. 2025
Stokes, appointed and supervised by the chief district judge in Mecklenburg County, is not a licensed attorney or a member of the North Carolina State Bar, although magistrates in the state are not required to be.
—Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 8 Sep. 2025
But the evidence of Abrego Garcia’s gang ties remains limited, and has been called into question by immigration judges, magistrates and district court judges.
—Nick Penzenstadler, USA Today, 8 Sep. 2025
In 2021, when Bukele's party gained a two-thirds majority in the Assembly, lawmakers removed and replaced all five Constitutional Chamber magistrates and the attorney general, who was investigating government officials for corruption and negotiations with gangs.
—Juanita Goebertus, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Aug. 2025
Julia Coin, Charlotte Observer, 17 Sep. 2025
On June 1, commemorating one year since his unconstitutional reelection, Bukele appeared on national television from the National Theater, surrounded by his deputies, his loyal magistrates and prosecutor, and many soldiers.
—Óscar Martínez & Carlos Martínez, The Dial, 16 Sep. 2025
Then her latest statement took a different tack and blamed courts and magistrates for allowing repeat offenders to remain on the streets.
—Wesley Bruer, CNN Money, 10 Sep. 2025
Stokes, appointed and supervised by the chief district judge in Mecklenburg County, is not a licensed attorney or a member of the North Carolina State Bar, although magistrates in the state are not required to be.
—Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 8 Sep. 2025
But the evidence of Abrego Garcia’s gang ties remains limited, and has been called into question by immigration judges, magistrates and district court judges.
—Nick Penzenstadler, USA Today, 8 Sep. 2025
In 2021, when Bukele's party gained a two-thirds majority in the Assembly, lawmakers removed and replaced all five Constitutional Chamber magistrates and the attorney general, who was investigating government officials for corruption and negotiations with gangs.
—Juanita Goebertus, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for magistrates
Noun
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The show tapes weekly in Los Angeles and features celebrity-pro dance pairings performing live for judges and viewers.—
Amanda Castro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Oct. 2025
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At the end of the night, live viewer votes will be combined with the judges’ scores to determine who will be eliminated.—
Brianne Tracy,
PEOPLE,
15 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Stay tuned for more from today’s programming, like Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, the CEOs of Best Buy, Land O’Lakes, and Ulta Beauty, how the courts are influencing American business, and much, much more.—
Emma Hinchliffe,
Fortune,
14 Oct. 2025
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Under a 2023 state law, California courts seal records for minors under 18 years of age who change their name and gender identifier to protect their privacy.—
Lia Russell,
Sacbee.com,
14 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Magistrates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/magistrates. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025.
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