Chancellor vs. Provost — What's the Difference?

Chancellor (Latin: cancellarius) is a title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the cancellarii of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the cancelli or lattice work screens of a basilica or law court, which separated the judge and counsel from the audience.

A university administrator of high rank.

A secretary to a monarch or noble.

The highest official in certain cathedrals or collegiate churches.

Chiefly British The chief secretary of an embassy.

The keeper of a prison.

The chief minister of state in some European countries.

The chief magistrate of certain Scottish cities.

The president of certain American universities.

One placed in charge: a head, a chief, particularly:

Chiefly British The honorary or titular head of a university.

A dean: the head of a cathedral chapter.

(Law) The presiding judge of a court of chancery or equity in some states of the United States and in Great Britain.

(religion) The head of various other ecclesiastical bodies, even muezzins.

A senior secretary or official with administrative or legal duties, sometimes in charge of some area of government such as finance or justice.

(religion) The minister of the chief Protestant church of a town or region in Germany, the Low Countries, and Scandinavia.

The head of the government in some German-speaking countries.

The head of various colleges and universities.

(Christianity) A senior record keeper of a cathedral; a senior legal officer for a bishop or diocese in charge of hearing cases involving ecclesiastical law.

(obsolete) A ruler.

(education) The head of a university, sometimes purely ceremonial.

A mayor: the chief magistrate of a town, particularly (Scotland) the head of a burgh or (historical) the former chiefs of various towns in France, Flanders, or (by extension) other Continental European countries.

(UK politics) Chancellor of the Exchequer

A senior deputy, a superintendent, particularly:

The foreman of a jury.

A prior: an abbot's second-in-command.

The chief judge of a court of chancery (that is, one exercising equity jurisdiction).

A senior deputy administrator; a vice-president of academic affairs.

A judicial court of chancery, which in England and in the United States is distinctively a court with equity jurisdiction.

(historical) A steward or seneschal: a medieval agent given management of a feudal estate or charged with collecting fees; a title of the archangel Michael.

The person who is head of state (in several countries)

(historical) Any manager or overseer in a medieval or early modern context.

The honorary or titular head of a university

(obsolete) A viceroy.

(obsolete) A governor.

(obsolete) A reeve.

(obsolete) The head of various Roman offices, such as prefect and praetor.

(historical) A constable: a medieval or early modern official charged with arresting, holding, and punishing criminals.

(military) An officer of the military police, particularly provost marshal or provost sergeant.

An assistant fencing master.

A provost cell: a military cell or prison.

To be delivered to a provost marshal for punishment.

A person who is appointed to superintend, or preside over, something; the chief magistrate in some cities and towns; as, the provost of Edinburgh or of Glasgow, answering to the mayor of other cities; the provost of a college, answering to president; the provost or head of certain collegiate churches.

The keeper of a prison.

A high-ranking university administrator