provost

noun

pro·​vost ˈprō-ˌvōst How to pronounce provost (audio)
ˈprä-vəst,
ˈprō-vəst,
 especially before another noun  ˌprō-(ˌ)vō
1
: the chief dignitary of a collegiate or cathedral chapter
2
: the chief magistrate of a Scottish burgh
3
: the keeper of a prison
4
: a high-ranking university administrative officer

Examples of provost in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Anderson served as provost and then president of the American University of Cairo between 2008 and 2015. —Foreign Affairs, 10 June 2024 He was promoted to acting provost in 2018 and named to the permanent position in 2019. —Kelly Meyerhofer, Journal Sentinel, 10 June 2024 Dad is an associate provost for administration and finance at Towson University. —Sam Cohn, Baltimore Sun, 10 May 2024 Final exams and review sessions were moved online under a new directive Wednesday from the provost. —Cayla Bamberger, New York Daily News, 1 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for provost 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'provost.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English profost & Anglo-French provost, from Medieval Latin propositus, alteration of praepositus, from Latin, one in charge, director, from past participle of praeponere to place at the head — more at preposition

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of provost was before the 12th century

Phrases Containing provost

Dictionary Entries Near provost

provolone

provost

provost court

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Provost.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/provost. Accessed 4 Jul. 2024.

Copy Citation

Share

Kids Definition

provost

noun
pro·​vost ˈprō-ˌvōst How to pronounce provost (audio)
ˈpräv-əst,
 before "marshal" often  ˌprō-vō
: a high managing officer (as in a university)

More from Merriam-Webster on provost

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about provost

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See All

Plural and Possessive Names: A Guide

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Absent Letters That Are Heard Anyway

How to Use Accents and Diacritical Marks
See All

Popular in Wordplay

See All

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

12 Star Wars Words

'Swash', 'Praya', and 12 More Beachy Words

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments
See All

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A crossword with a twist
winning words from the national spelling bee logo
Spelling Bee Quiz Can you outdo past winners of the National Spelli...