protector

American  

[pruh-tek-ter] / prəˈtɛk tər /

noun

1. a person or thing that protects; defender; guardian.

2. English History.

   1. a person in charge of the kingdom during the sovereign's minority, incapacity, or absence.

   2. 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).

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protector ¹ British  

/ prəˈtɛktə /

noun

1. a person or thing that protects

2. history a person who exercised royal authority during the minority, absence, or incapacity of the monarch

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Protector ² British  

/ prəˈtɛktə /

noun

1. short for Lord Protector, the title borne by Oliver Cromwell (1653–58) and by Richard Cromwell (1658–59) as heads of state during the period known as the Protectorate

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Other Word Forms

• protectoral adjective
• protectorless adjective
• protectorship noun
• protectress noun
• subprotector noun
• subprotectorship noun

Etymology

Origin of protector

1325–75; < Late Latin ( protect, -tor ); replacing Middle English protectour < Middle French

Example Sentences

“Charge my phone?” asked another, and Gil submitted the device into a tangle of cords growing from a surge protector.

From Slate • Mar. 25, 2026

Especially the tiniest ones, like a cricket that reminds him that he was once a protector.

From Salon • Feb. 1, 2026

“Azerbaijan” is a Turkicized word from “Azarpayegan,” meaning the protector of fire.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 21, 2026

If it keeps going, the pragmatic stock-price protector may decide to slow down on new investments.

From Barron's • Jan. 16, 2026

In one important story, the Quest of the Golden Fleece, she is the gracious protector of heroes and the inspirer of heroic deeds, but not in any other.

From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton

Related Words

• benefactor
• bulwark
• defender
• partisan
• patron
• savior