Ephor
//ˈɛfɚ// noun
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 One of the five annually-elected senior magistrates in various Dorian states, especially in ancient Sparta, where they oversaw the actions of Spartan kings. historical
"Agesilaus was fined by the Ephories, because he had drawne the hearts and good wills of al his fellow-citizens unto himselfe alone."
- 2 Alternative form of ephor alt-of, alternative
- 3 A superintendent or curator.
Example
More examples"Agesilaus was fined by the Ephories, because he had drawne the hearts and good wills of al his fellow-citizens unto himselfe alone."
Etymology
From Ancient Greek ἔφορος (éphoros, “overseer”), from Homeric ἐπίουρος (epíouros), from ἐπί (epí, “over”) + ὁράω (horáō, “look”).
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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.