a person or thing that protects; defender; guardian.
English History.
a person in charge of the kingdom during the sovereign's minority, incapacity, or absence.
Also called Lord Protector. (initial capital letter) the title of the head of the government during the period of the Protectorate, held by Oliver Cromwell (1653–58) and by Richard Cromwell, his son (1658–59).
a person or thing that protects
history a person who exercised royal authority during the minority, absence, or incapacity of the monarch
1325–75; < Late Latin ( see protect, -tor); replacing Middle English protectour < Middle French
A protector is someone who takes care of you. In most families, part of the parents' job is to be their children's protectors. A museum guard is a protector of valuable artworks, and a Great Pyrenees dog might work as the protector of a flock of sheep, barking at predators. You can tell from the word protector that it's all about protecting, or keeping safe from harm. In Latin, protect means "covered in front," from the verb protegere and its roots pro-, "in front" and tegere, "to cover."
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The Catholic church is deeply entrenched in Poland's national identity and the Virgin Mary is considered the country's patron and protector, even as it undergoes one of the fastest rates of secularisation worldwide.
From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026
“It was led by somebody that I had grown to trust and see as a protector and somebody who had my back,” she told podcast host Jay Shetty of the incident.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 26, 2026
“Arise, O protector of the homeland!” the crowd responded.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 22, 2026
"Our findings significantly shift tubulin's role in neurodegeneration, from a passive casualty of disease to an active protector against toxic protein aggregation," Ferreon said.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 21, 2026
Gerald was her warrior and protector and she adored him.
From "Forged by Fire" by Sharon M. Draper
Also, there's the fact that Protector is only the latest high-profile offering to sprout from the gig economy: a marketplace that isn’t too keen on vetting whether or not its users actually need its services.
From Salon ● Feb. 24, 2025
Now Michael's trip - where he spent nearly three months aboard the Royal Navy's ice patrol vessel, HMS Protector - has provided material for both an album and film.
From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2024
Cromwell died of natural causes after ruling the country as Lord Protector, but when the monarchy was restored, his corpse was exhumed and beheaded.
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2024
The Water Protector Legal Collective, a group that assisted protesters in criminal cases, did not respond to a message for comment on the lawsuit.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 14, 2024
“It is off-limits and guarded by vork. You are right that it is miraculous, wise and clever guest. It was brought here by Ghohg the Protector when he first arrived among us.”
From "The Assassination of Brangwain Spurge" by M.T. Anderson and Eugene Yelchin
But the strongest protectors against accelerated ageing, he said, are a person's income and availability of resources, including health care.
From BBC ● Jun. 13, 2026
Plus, gloves, helmets, elbow guards, leg protectors, arm sleeves, sliding mitts, cleats, turf shoes, the coolest sunglasses, Bruce Bolt batting gloves, fluorescent batting grips, socks, pants, belts and garments known simply as “ice-cream shorts.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 14, 2026
"Microglia are not simply destructive responders in Alzheimer's disease -- they can become the brain's protectors," explained Anne Schaefer, the senior author of the research and leader of the project.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 22, 2025
“Great giants… thirty feet high” and big-headed protectors, the kilikis and zaldikos.
From Salon ● Nov. 8, 2025
No blades were allowed in the presence of the king save those of his protectors.
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
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.
