Standard Lemma guide

preceptor

noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /pɹɪˈsɛp.tə/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • General-American: /ˈpɹiˌsɛp.tɚ/
  • Australian: /pɹɪˈsep.tə/

1

noun

Meaning 1

A teacher or tutor.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The head of a preceptory of Knights Templar.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: historical

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A doctor who gives practical training to medical students, nurses etc.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: US

Topics: medicine, sciences

Examples

  • Near-synonyms: mentor, professor

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: mentor, professor

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

teacher at a university or college (especially at Cambridge or Oxford)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: don

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: teacher, instructor

History

Etymology

From Middle English preceptor, preceptur, from Latin praeceptor (“commander; instructor”), from the verb praecipiō + -or (“-er: forming agent nouns”), from prae- (“pre-, fore-: before”) + capiō (“to take; to get, to take in, to understand”).

Across languages

Translations

2 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Spanish: preceptor — Translations
  • Spanish: preceptora — Translations