curator
noun
Scott Newland
Did you know?
In a good-sized art museum, each curator is generally responsible for a single department or collection: European painting, Asian sculpture, Native American art, and so on. Curatorial duties include acquiring new artworks, caring for and repairing objects already owned, discovering frauds and counterfeits, lending artworks to other museums, and mounting exhibitions of everything from Greek sculpture to 20th-century clothing.
Example Sentences
Eric E. Harrison, Arkansas Online, 9 July 2023
Visitors are able to watch the dome being constructed on site, strut by strut, as professors and architecture students from Catholic University alongside museum curators erect the iconic structure and answer queries from attendees.
—Wendy Moonan, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 July 2023
Huntsville museum curators, which also include David Reyes, have arranged this traveling exhibit, which comes from the collection of Dr. Timothy Collins of Los Angeles, in semi-chronological order.
—Matt Wake | Mwake@al.com, al, 5 July 2023
It is curated by fashion historian and curator Olivier Saillard and organized by SCAD FASH director of fashion exhibitions Rafael Gomes.
—José Criales-Unzueta, Vogue, 3 July 2023
Out of the blue Liam is summoned to the country estate where Sinclair lives with his wife Helene (Julie Delpy), an art curator, and their son Bertie (Stephen McMillan).
—Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 3 July 2023
At The Intersection of Wellness & Advocacy Come hear from cultural curators and other influencers that have long championed the importance of mental health and wellness.
—Essence, 2 July 2023
The photograph was taken by John White Hurn, most likely on Jan. 14, 1862, according to curators.
—Deneen L. Brown, Washington Post, 1 July 2023
Video games are now nearly as old as Pop art, and keeping up with them will require curators to reckon both with their particulars—eras, genres, designers, themes—and with their role in the world.
—Julian Lucas, The New Yorker, 30 June 2023
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'curator.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
borrowed from Latin cūrātor "one who looks after, superintendent, guardian," from cūrāre "to watch over, attend" + -tor, agent suffix — more at cure entry 2
1660, in the meaning defined above
Phrases Containing curator
Dictionary Entries Near curator
Cite this Entry
“Curator.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/curator. Accessed 13 Jul. 2023.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
curator
noun
kyu̇-ˈrāt-
Legal Definition
curator
noun
Latin, guardian, from curare to take care of
More from Merriam-Webster on curator
Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for curator
Nglish: Translation of curator for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of curator for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about curator
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