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Glite Dictionary
Regius professor

Regius professor

9.9
A professor at a British university appointed by the king or queen
  • noun
  • /ˈrɛdʒɪəs prəˈfɛsə/
  • UK
translation icon : profesor Regius
  • She was appointed as the new Regius professor of mathematics at Oxford.

Examples

  • The university celebrated the 400th anniversary of its first Regius professor.

  • The title of Regius professor is highly prestigious.

  • Many Regius professors have made significant contributions to their fields.

  • Dr. Smith is a Regius professor at Oxford University.

  • She was appointed as the new Regius professor of mathematics at Oxford.

  • Dr. Smith is a Regius professor at Oxford University.

  • The title of Regius professor is highly prestigious.

Surface Forms

Regius professor singular
Regius professors plural

Morphology

regius + professor

If a learner knows the constituent meanings — 'regius' (denoting royal patronage) and 'professor' (an academic teacher/researcher) — the compound meaning (a professorship granted by the crown) follows directly and compositionally. The pattern 'royal + title' is cross-linguistically transparent, so the overall sense is predictable from the parts.

Etymology

Regius professor comes from the old Latin word Regius, meaning 'king's' or 'royal', and professor, a university teacher. Kings and queens created these positions and chose the person for them, so a Regius professor is a professor chosen 'by the king or queen' and is seen as an official and special role.