tutelary

American  

[toot-l-er-ee, tyoot-] / ˈtut lˌɛr i, ˈtjut- /

Also tutelar

adjective

1. 

   having the position of guardian or protector of a person, place, or thing.

   tutelary saint.

2. of or relating to a guardian or guardianship.

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noun

• tutelaries
  plural

1. a person who has tutelary powers, as a saint, deity, or guardian.

tutelary British  

/ ˈtjuːtɪlərɪ, ˈtjuːtɪlə- /

adjective

1. invested with the role of guardian or protector

2. of or relating to a guardian or guardianship

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noun

1. a tutelary person, deity, or saint

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• supertutelary
  adjective
• untutelar
  adjective
• untutelary
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• tutelaries
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of tutelary

1605–15; < Latin tūtēlārius guardian; see tutelage, -ary

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Explanation

The adjective tutelary describes something that is supervising or guarding something else, like the tutelary duties of a babysitter who makes sure the kids don't hurt themselves at the playground. To correctly pronounce tutelary, say "TOO-tuh-leh-ree." Tutelary comes from the Latin word tutus, meaning "watch over." You see this root in words like tutor and tutorial, which also involve watching over, though in a more specific sense that applies primarily to instructing. Tutelary's suffix -ary means "having to do with." So something that is tutelary has to do with keeping watch, like the tutelary presence of a parent supervising a child, or even a tutelary god in an ancient society.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

tutelary tutelaries

“It seems clear that the military continues to have this idea of itself as a tutelary force in politics.”

From New York Times ● May 1, 2020

In an ideal world, our entertainment would not have to be tutelary, would not need to “set a good example.”

From Slate ● Apr. 18, 2019

Having no children of his own, Guadagnino has fallen into a tutelary role toward the young people in his life.

From The New Yorker ● Oct. 8, 2018

I leave the last word to The Review Show's tutelary spirit, Tom Paulin.

From The Guardian ● Mar. 15, 2013

He wrote with composure and steadiness, as if under the guidance of a tutelary genius.

From The Life Of Thomas Paine, Vol. II. (of II) With A History of His Literary, Political and Religious Career in America France, and England by Moncure Daniel Conway

The enquirer finds a similar difficulty when he tries in the twentieth century to identify rural deities, or even the tutelaries of many great temples, with any personages recognized by the canonical literature.

From Hinduism and Buddhism, An Historical Sketch, Vol. 1 by Sir Charles Eliot

The male priests and the warrior priests invoke their respective tutelaries before a trapping expedition and the manikiad43 calls upon the emissary44 of the war deities.

From The Manóbos of Mindanáo Memoirs of the National Academy of Sciences, Volume XXIII, First Memoir by John M. Garvan

The Doctor saw the force of the retort: my two tutelaries will see it by this time.

From A Budget of Paradoxes, Volume I by David Eugene Smith

Overhead the great mountains shot up their craggy heads, blasted into a score of fantastic shapes, frowning down upon the barbarous scene like grim tutelaries of destruction.

From Golden Face A Tale of the Wild West by Bertram Mitford

A second class of tutelaries is composed of so-called Buddhas, accompanied by Śaktis and terrific in aspect, who are manifestations of the Buddhahood for special purposes.

From Hinduism and Buddhism, An Historical Sketch, Vol. 3 by Sir Charles Eliot

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