quaestor

C2 Topic:Law & Government

US /ˈkwistɚ/ UK /ˈkwiːstə/ See IPA manual

Freq #189940

Meanings

1

noun
an ancient Roman magistrate chiefly responsible for public revenue, accounts, and financial administration

After his election as quaestor, Cicero was assigned to oversee finances in Sicily.
2

noun
in the later Roman and Byzantine empires, a senior official with legislative or judicial duties, especially the quaestor of the sacred palace

The emperor asked the quaestor to prepare the legal wording of the decree.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · an ancient roman magistrate... financial magistratetreasury official

2 noun · in the later roman and... legal officialimperial magistrate

Word family

Forms quaestors

Derived forms quaestorialquaestorship

Related forms magistrate exchequer treasury

Etymology

From Middle English questor, borrowed from Latin quaestor. The Roman title is traditionally connected with quaerere, 'to seek or inquire', plus an agent suffix, although its earliest institutional history is complex. Financial administration became the office's defining republican function.

Topics

Law & Government

External links

# quaestor

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈkwistɚ/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈkwiːstə/
**Frequency rank:** 189940

## Meanings
1. an ancient Roman magistrate chiefly responsible for public revenue, accounts, and financial administration
2. in the later Roman and Byzantine empires, a senior official with legislative or judicial duties, especially the quaestor of the sacred palace

## Examples
- After his election as quaestor, Cicero was assigned to oversee finances in Sicily.
- The emperor asked the quaestor to prepare the legal wording of the decree.

## Synonyms
- financial magistrate
- treasury official
- imperial magistrate

## Derived Forms
- quaestorial
- quaestorship

## Related Forms
- magistrate
- exchequer
- treasury

## Etymology
From Middle English questor, borrowed from Latin quaestor. The Roman title is traditionally connected with quaerere, 'to seek or inquire', plus an agent suffix, although its earliest institutional history is complex. Financial administration became the office's defining republican function.

## Topics
- Law & Government

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