guardian

American  

[gahr-dee-uhn] / ˈgɑr di ən /

noun

1. a person who guards, protects, or preserves.

   Synonyms:

   defender, protector

2. Law. a person who is entrusted by law with the care of the person, property, or both, of someone else, such as a minor or someone legally incapable of managing their affairs.

3. the superior of a Franciscan convent.

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adjective

1. guarding; protecting.

   a guardian deity.

guardian British  

/ ˈɡɑːdɪən /

noun

1. one who looks after, protects, or defends

   the guardian of public morals

2. 1. law someone legally appointed to manage the affairs of a person incapable of acting for himself, as a minor or person of unsound mind

   2. social welfare (in England) a local authority, or person accepted by it, named under the Mental Health Act 1983 as having the powers to require a mentally disordered person to live at a specified place, attend for treatment, and be accessible to a doctor or social worker

3. (often capital) (in England) another word for custos

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adjective

1. protecting or safeguarding

Pronunciation

Guardian is occasionally pronounced with two syllables and with stress on the final syllable: . This pronunciation is now most characteristic of older, less educated speakers.

Other Word Forms

• guardianless adjective
• guardianship noun
• underguardian noun

Etymology

Origin of guardian

First recorded in 1375–1425; from late Middle English gardein, from Anglo-French. See warden

Example Sentences

Its spokeswoman added that "local officers are also engaging with the appropriate school authorities and the parents/guardians of the pupils affected".

From BBC

Pyrenean mountain dogs were bred to be livestock guardians, used to protect flocks from wolves and bears.

From BBC

Given that the beneficiary is a minor, you should provide reasonable updates for their guardians.

From MarketWatch

"We reimagined them not as mighty guardians, but as vulnerable creatures whose armor -- their shells and scales -- is under attack by ocean warming, acidification and other ocean environmental changes."

From Science Daily

They looked to me like guardians to the underworld.

From Literature