What does examinator mean?
An examinator is a person who examines — someone who tests, questions, or scrutinizes another party, whether a student sitting an examination, a witness giving testimony, or an official body under review. The word is a direct borrowing of Latin examinator, meaning "one who weighs or tests," and it entered English through ecclesiastical and legal writing, where it long served alongside its more successful rival "examiner." Today "examinator" is rare in British and American English and can sound formal or antiquated, though it remains in active use in South African English, especially in universities and courts, where phrases like "external examinator" and "chief examinator" appear regularly. Because most readers expect "examiner," writers who choose "examinator" should be confident their audience will accept the Latinate form. Its enduring charm lies in its history: it preserves, almost unchanged, the vocabulary of medieval scholarship.
nounA person who examines or inspects something or someone; a rare variant of "examiner", especially one who administers an examination or test.
- A person who examines or tests someone, such as a student or candidate.
- One who investigates or inspects a matter formally, as in legal or official proceedings.
"The external examinator praised the students' thorough preparation."
"The chief examinator announced that the results would be published within a fortnight."
"As examinator of the record, the judge reviewed every deposition before ruling."
Regular plural; used chiefly in South African academic and legal contexts.
"Both examinators signed off on the thesis after the oral defense."
You've probably never heard of the "examinator" — yet this centuries-old rival of "examiner" still survives in courtrooms and classrooms in South Africa today.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of examinator
Examinator comes directly from Latin examinator, an agent noun formed on examinare, "to weigh, test, or examine," which itself derives from examen, meaning the tongue of a balance and, by extension, a means of weighing or judging. The word passed into English through ecclesiastical and legal Latin, appearing in medieval and early modern texts on canon law and judicial inquiry before being eclipsed by "examiner." Its closest relatives are examine, examination, and examinant, all built on the same Latin stem.
Related word forms
How examinator is actually used
"Examinator" is markedly less common than "examiner" in contemporary British and American English and may strike readers as archaic or pedantic. It retains genuine currency in South African English, particularly in academic and legal contexts, and appears in historical translations of canon law.
Easily confused with examinator
"Examiner" is the standard, universally accepted term for someone who examines or tests, while "examinator" is a rare Latinate variant largely confined to legal-historical texts and South African usage.