Praetor meaning : (history) The title designating a Roman administrative official whose role changed over time: (by extension) A high civic or administrative official, especially a chief magistrate or mayor. Sometimes used as a title. (translating Italian "pretore") The title of the chief magistrate, the mayor, and/or the podestà in Palermo, in Verona, and in various other parts of 17th- and 18th-century Italy.