spiritus rector

UK/ˌspɪrᵻtᵿs ˈrɛktɔː/US/ˌspɪrᵻdəs ˈrɛktɔr/

noun

A ruling or guiding spirit.

OriginLatin spīritus rector →
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Meanings

nounspiritus rector (plural spiritus rectores)

plural spiritus rectores

  1. A ruling or guiding spirit.

Origin

  1. Latinspīritus rector
  2. Englishspiritus rector

Unadapted borrowing from Latin spīritus rector (literally “guiding spirit”), an alchemical term. First attested in 1729 in the writings of E. Strother.

More words from Latin

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

spiritus rector. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/spiritus%20rector

MLA

“spiritus rector.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/spiritus%20rector. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “spiritus rector,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/spiritus%20rector.

Source: spiritus rector on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.