- a member of the clergy in charge of a parish in which, as its incumbent, he or she would formerly have been entitled to the whole of the tithes
Compare vicar - a cleric in charge of a college, religious house, or congregation
- a cleric in charge of a parish
- chiefly Brit the head of certain schools or colleges
- (in Scotland) a high-ranking official in a university: now a public figure elected for three years by the students
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
rec•tor /ˈrɛktɚ/USA pronunciation
n. [countable]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- Religiona member of the clergy in various Christian churches in charge of a parish, a building, a religious house, or the like.
- the head of certain universities, colleges, or schools.
rec•tor
(rek′tər),USA pronunciation n.
rec•to•ri•al
(rek tôr′ē əl, -tōr′-),USA pronunciation adj.
- Religiona member of the clergy in charge of a parish in the Protestant Episcopal Church.
- Religion[Rom. Cath. Ch.]an ecclesiastic in charge of a college, religious house, or congregation.
- Religion[Anglican Ch.]a member of the clergy who has the charge of a parish with full possession of all its rights, tithes, etc.
- the head of certain universities, colleges, and schools.
- Latin rēctor helmsman, ruler, leader, equivalent. to reg(ere) to rule + -tor -tor
- 1350–1400; Middle English rectour
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
rector /ˈrɛktə/ n
'rector' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):