proconsul

noun

pro·​con·​sul (ˌ)prō-ˈkän(t)-səl 

1

: a governor or military commander of an ancient Roman province

2

: an administrator in a modern colony, dependency, or occupied area usually with wide powers

proconsular

(ˌ)prō-ˈkän(t)-s(ə-)lər 

adjective

proconsulate

(ˌ)prō-ˈkän(t)-s(ə-)lət 

noun

proconsulship

(ˌ)prō-ˈkän(t)-səl-ˌship 

noun

Examples of proconsul in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

There’s also the blinding of Elymas, in which Paul performs another miracle by temporarily blinding a sorcerer who tried to bar Paul from converting a Roman proconsul to Christianity. —Steven Litt, cleveland, 1 Oct. 2022

The Senate long forbade its proconsuls from commanding Rome’s legions outside of their respective jurisdictions—especially into Italy itself, where the Rubicon marked the legal and physical demarcation of senatorial power. —Matt Ford, The New Republic, 4 July 2019

Roman proconsul Gnaeus Egnatius built it in the first century B.C. to link the Adriatic with the Aegean Sea and the Bosporus. —National Geographic, 3 Apr. 2019

Chad Shelton’s energetic and vocally assured performance as the feckless Roman proconsul comes closest to breaking through Monastyrska’s august demeanor. —Eric Skelly, Houston Chronicle, 1 May 2018

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin, from pro consule for a consul

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

proconsul

noun

pro·​con·​sul (ˈ)prō-ˈkän(t)-səl 

: an administrator in a modern colony, dependency, or occupied area