CultureAugust 9, 2026

provost

PRO-vohst

Definition

A high-ranking administrative officer in a college or university, typically in charge of academic affairs and faculty.

Etymology

The word derives from the Old French 'provost', originating from the Latin 'praepositus', meaning 'one placed in charge' or 'prefect'.

In the news

The word is used to identify the author of the article, Santiago Schnell, who serves as the provost of Dartmouth College, lending academic authority to his perspective on university policies.

Opinion | Universities are fighting AI cheating. But there’s a deeper problem.

Read the full article ↗

The Washington Post

Related words

Learn words like this every day

Meet new words every morning.

Newspoken pulls carefully chosen words from the day’s news — with clear definitions, context, and light review that makes them stick. Get it on your phone.