protégé

American  

[proh-tuh-zhey, proh-tuh-zhey] / ˈproʊ təˌʒeɪ, ˌproʊ təˈʒeɪ /

noun

1. a person under the patronage, protection, or care of someone interested in their career or welfare.

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protégé British  

/ ˈprəʊtɪˌʒeɪ /

noun

1. a person who is protected and aided by the patronage of another person

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Etymology

Origin of protégé

First recorded in 1780–90; from French, noun use of past participle of protéger “to protect” from Latin prōtegere; see protect

Explanation

A protégé is a person who receives special protection and promotion from someone more established in a field. If your boss introduces you as his newest protégé, you're off to a good start in your career. Essentially, a protégé is a teacher’s pet, someone who is given special status or favors. Often, the word is used for someone who has special standout talent and is taken up as an upcoming star or powerhouse. The word’s original associations, however, have nothing to do with talent and everything to do with how a person treats the protégé — the source of the word means “protection.”

Example Sentences

The company’s future was very much in doubt when it found a savior in Enzo’s one-time protégé, Luca di Montezemolo, a blue-eyed Italian aristocrat with the steady hand to pull off a U-turn at Ferrari.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026

Anduril, which develops drones, missiles, robotic submarines and autonomous fighter jets, was founded in 2017 by Peter Thiel protégé Palmer Luckey.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 12, 2026

Roy Cohn’s gospel to his young protégé Donald Trump was simple: never apologize, never admit error, never retreat.

From Salon • Feb. 11, 2026

Another Mandelson protégé, Health Secretary Wes Streeting, denies that he is angling to succeed Mr. Starmer.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 4, 2026

The two became friends, and Halley was something of Flamsteed’s protégé for a time—although, as we shall see, they later fell out.

From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin