From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishmagisterialma‧gis‧te‧ri‧al /ˌmædʒəˈstɪəriəl◂ $ -ˈstɪr-/ adjective 1 TELL/ORDER somebody TO DO somethinga magisterial way of behaving or speaking shows that you think you have authority his magisterial voice2 KNOW somethinga magisterial book is written by someone who has very great knowledge about a subject his magisterial study of the First World War3 SCT[only before noun] connected with or done by a magistrate —magisterially adverb
Examples from the Corpus
magisterial• Cognitio was an official procedure, and a judgment given in it was based on magisterial authority.• Curriculum managers reading this discussion may rightly feel that this magisterial balance has rather little to offer to their own pressing concerns.• Finkelstein wrote a magisterial essay on the subject.• A crest of wavy, blond hair was loosely rooted on a magisterial forehead.• And, as gifted mimic, Boswell could roll out the magisterial Johnsonian cadences.• The youth carries the symbols of magisterial office.• Magisterial permission is necessary for any public gathering.• In the case of Pope it is the Essay on Man on which he exercises his gift for the magisterial put-down.• In a magisterial tone he announced the Chaplain's arrival.Origin magisterial (1600-1700) Late Latin magisterialis, from Latin magister; → MAGISTRATE 