From Middle English, from late Old English prōfost, prāfost, from Late Latin prōpositus, variant of Latin praepositus.

• (British) IPA: /ˈpɹɒvəst/, /ˈpɹɒvɒst/

  (UK, military police) IPA: /pɹəʊˈvəʊ/

• (America) IPA: /ˈpɹoʊvoʊst/, /ˈpɹɑvəst/

provost (plural provosts)

1. One placed in charge: a head, a chief, particularly:
   1. (religion, historical) A dean: the head of a cathedral chapter.
   2. (religion) The head of various other ecclesiastical bodies, even (rare, obsolete) muezzins.
   3. (religion) The minister of the chief Protestant church of a town or region in Germany, the Low Countries, and Scandinavia.
   4. (UK, higher education) The head of various colleges and universities.
   5. (obsolete) A ruler.
   6. A mayor: the chief magistrate of a town, particularly (Scotland) the head of a burgh or (historical) the former chiefs of various towns in France, Flanders, or (by extension) other Continental European countries.
2. A senior deputy, a superintendent, particularly:
   1. (religion, historical) A prior: an abbot's second-in-command.
   2. (US, higher education) A senior deputy administrator; a vice-president of academic affairs.
   3. (historical) A steward or seneschal: a medieval agent given management of a feudal estate or charged with collecting fees.
   4. (obsolete, sometimes as ~ of Paradise or ~ of Heaven) A title of the archangel Michael.
   5. (historical) Any manager or overseer in a medieval or early modern context.
   6. (obsolete) A viceroy.
   7. (obsolete) A governor.
   8. (obsolete) A reeve.
   9. (obsolete) The head of various Roman offices, such as prefect and praetor.
   10. (historical) A constable: a medieval or early modern official charged with arresting, holding, and punishing criminals.
       • c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Measure for Measure”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC ↗, [Act I, scene ii], line 113:

         Here comes Signor Claudio, led by the provost
         to prison;

   11. (military) An officer of the military police, particularly provost marshal or provost sergeant.
   12. (fencing, historical) An assistant fencing master.
3. (UK, military slang, obsolete) A provost cell: a military cell or prison.

• (head of cathedral chapter) See dean
• (head of a university or college) president, dean
• (head of a realm or state) See Thesaurus:ruler
• (head of a town) See mayor
• (head of various specific bodies) prepositus
• (deputy overseeing medieval estates or fees) See steward
• (deputy to a king or emperor) See viceroy
• (deputy overseeing a province) See governor
• (reeve) See reeve
• (Roman officials) See prefect and praetor
• (deputy overseeing medieval law enforcement; military police) See Thesaurus:police officer

• German: Vorsteher
• Italian: prevosto, preposto, proposto
• Portuguese: pró-reitor
• Russian: ре́ктор

• French: prévôt, prévôte
• German: Propst
• Italian: prevosto, preposto
• Portuguese: preboste
• Russian: пробст

• French: prévôt
• Italian: proposto, aiutante
• Portuguese: preboste
• Spanish: preboste

provost (provosts, present participle provosting; simple past and past participle provosted)

1. (UK, transitive, used in passive, obsolete, military slang) To be delivered to a provost marshal for punishment.

   Around the time of the Rebellions of 1837 and the First Anglo-Afghan War, British servicemen spoke of being provosted.

1. Surname for a provost.