tutelary

American  

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

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

plural

tutelaries

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

• supertutelary adjective
• untutelar adjective
• untutelary adjective

Etymology

Origin of tutelary

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

Example Sentences

Kertész was a “tutelary god,” one friend later said, for generations of street photographers.

From The Wall Street Journal

Even the warning that a concert is about to begin isn’t the usual docile bells, but a spreading roar of electronics from “Répons” by Pierre Boulez, a tutelary spirit here for decades.

From New York Times

James, who will show up briefly in “Mangrove,” played by Derek Griffiths as a kind of tutelary theoretical deity.

From New York Times

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

From New York Times

This year’s Cannes selection was unveiled under a revered image, almost a tutelary deity.

From The Guardian