sheltered

[ shel-terd ]

/ ˈʃɛl tərd /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR sheltered ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

protected or shielded from storms, missiles, etc., by a wall, roof, barrier, or the like.

protected from the troubles, annoyances, sordidness, etc., encountered in competitive situations: a sheltered life.

(of a business or industry) enjoying noncompetitive conditions, as because of a protective tariff.

of or relating to employment or housing, especially for persons with disabilities, in a noncompetitive, supervised environment.

Nearby words

Origin of sheltered

First recorded in 1585–95; shelter + -ed²

Related formsself-shel·tered, adjectiveun·shel·tered, adjectivewell-shel·tered, adjective

shelter

[ shel-ter ]

/ ˈʃɛl tər /

noun

something beneath, behind, or within which a person, animal, or thing is protected from storms, missiles, adverse conditions, etc.; refuge.

the protection or refuge afforded by such a thing: He took shelter in a nearby barn.

protection from blame, incrimination, etc.

a dwelling place or home considered as a refuge from the elements: Everyone's basic needs are food, clothing, and shelter.

a building serving as a temporary refuge or residence for homeless persons, abandoned animals, etc.

Finance. tax shelter.

verb (used with object)

to be a shelter for; afford shelter to: The old barn sheltered him from the rain.

to provide with a shelter; place under cover.

to protect, as by shelter; take under one's protection: Parents should not try to shelter their children from normal childhood disappointments.

Finance. to invest (money) in a tax shelter.

verb (used without object)

to take shelter; find a refuge: He sheltered in a barn.

Finance. to invest money in a tax shelterd.

Origin of shelter

1575–85; perhaps alteration of obsolete sheltron testudo, Old English scieldtruma, equivalent to scield shield + truma body of fighting men; see trim

SYNONYMS FOR shelter

1. retreat, asylum, sanctuary, shield, haven, harbor. 7. harbor, house. 9. guard, safeguard, shield, defend.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR shelter ON THESAURUS.COM

Related forms

shel·ter·er, nounshel·ter·ing·ly, adverbshel·ter·less, adjectiveshel·ter·less·ness, noun

self-shel·ter, nounun·shel·ter·ing, adjective

Synonym study

1. See cover.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for sheltered

After all, radically purist ideologies need to be sheltered from the vagaries of the world, and they can be expensive to maintain.
Will Saudi Arabia Execute Guest Workers for 'Witchcraft'?|Michael Schulson|March 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I did this because my entire life was sheltered in a box, and I needed to figure it out.
Porn's Behind-the-Camera Feminists|Emily Shire|February 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In one story in this collection, a sheltered young boy witnesses the abduction of his neighbor and decides whether to intervene.
The National Book Awards Longlist for Fiction||September 19, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Maybe it is the sheltered liberals who are trying to have their Tea Nana and drink it too.
Israeli Mayor: If I'm Racist, So Is Israel|Mira Sucharov|August 8, 2013|DAILY BEAST

The baby would have been sheltered under the mother as the adults formed a protective circle, facing outward.
How to Capture an Elephant: Excerpt From Michael Daly’s ‘Topsy’|Michael Daly|July 8, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Sow another crop of peas, and plant more beans; choose a dry spot for them, where they can be sheltered from the winter's cold.
The Cook and Housekeeper's Complete and Universal Dictionary; Including a System of Modern Cookery, in all Its Various Branches,|Mary Eaton
Drawing his bow, he slid to the ground, and sheltered himself behind his pony.
The War Trail|Elmer Russell Gregor
But the Bossonians have sheltered you Aquilonians from the outer wildernesses for too many centuries.
Beyond the Black River|Robert E. Howard
Philip—her idolized Philip—that ever her house should have sheltered this creature to bring a curse upon him!
Cecil Castlemaine's Gage, Lady Marabout's Troubles, and Other Stories|Ouida
The first of the little fleet of trawlers swung round the end of the reef into the sheltered water of the bay.
The Island Mystery|George A. Birmingham

British Dictionary definitions for sheltered

sheltered

/ (ˈʃɛltəd) /

adjective

protected from wind or weathera sheltered garden

protected from outside influencesa sheltered upbringing

(of buildings) specially designed to provide a safe environment for the elderly, handicapped, or disabledsheltered workshops for the blind See also sheltered housing

shelter

/ (ˈʃɛltə) /

noun

something that provides cover or protection, as from weather or danger; place of refuge

the protection afforded by such a cover; refuge

the state of being sheltered

verb

(tr) to provide with or protect by a shelter

(intr) to take cover, as from rain; find refuge

(tr) to act as a shelter for; take under one's protection

Derived Formsshelterer, nounshelterless, adjective

Word Origin for shelter

C16: of uncertain origin

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

Word Origin and History for sheltered

sheltered

adj.

"screened, protected," 1590s, past participle adjective from shelter (v.). Meaning "protected from the usual hardships of life" is from 1888. Related: Shelteredness.

shelter

1580s, "structure affording protection," possibly an alteration of Middle English sheltron, sheldtrume "roof or wall formed by locked shields," from Old English scyldtruma, from scield "shield" (see shield (n.)) + truma "troop," related to Old English trum "firm, strong" (see trim).

If so, the original notion is of a compact body of men protected by interlocking shields. OED finds this "untenable" and proposed derivation from shield + -ture. Figurative sense is recorded from 1580s; meaning "temporary lodging for homeless poor" is first recorded 1890 in Salvation Army jargon; sense of "temporary home for animals" is from 1971. Related: Shelterless.

shelter

1580s, "to screen, protect," from shelter (n.); in the income investment sense, from 1955. Meaning "to take shelter" is from c.1600. Related: Sheltered; sheltering.

sheltered

adjective

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Nearby words

Origin of sheltered

shelter

noun

verb (used with object)

verb (used without object)

Origin of shelter

Synonym study

Examples from the Web for sheltered

sheltered

adjective

shelter

noun

verb

Word Origin for shelter

sheltered

shelter

shelter