1. A chief or high ranking administrative official at a university: Frank's uncle Joe was elected provost for the local university.
2. The senior administrator at a cathedral or a church: In a revolutionary move, a woman was elected to be the next provost for the cathedral.
3. The administrative head of a prison: Mr. Gregory, the long serving provost at the local prison, decided to retire.
4. Etymology: from Old English profost, from Medieval Latin propositus, from Latin propositus, praepositus, "a chief, a prefect"; literally, "placed before, in charge of"; from the past participle of præponere, "to put before".