Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

Guards

British  
/ ɡɑːdz /

plural noun

    1. (esp in European armies) any of various regiments responsible for ceremonial duties and, formerly, the protection of the head of state

      the Life Guards

      the Grenadier Guards

    2. ( as modifier )

      a Guards regiment
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Rubio entered the Vatican through the Arch of the Bells, a privilege reserved for senior dignitaries, flanked by the colorfully clad Swiss Guards, who have been providing security to popes since 1506.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026

Plain-clothed security - from the paramilitary volunteer Basij, or the Islamic Revolutionary Guards - are ubiquitous now.

From BBC • Apr. 23, 2026

Guards Reed Sheppard and Thompson both rank in the top 10 in the league in total steals with 122 and 119, respectively.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2026

Rahim Nadali, an official with the Revolutionary Guards in Tehran, said on state television last week that Basij units had been inundated with volunteers.

From Barron's • Apr. 1, 2026

Inna Pasportnikova, who’d been Lilya’s mechanic when she flew with the 73rd Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment, spent three years searching with a metal detector for Lilya’s plane.

From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.