guardian
[ gahr-dee-uhn ]
/ ˈgɑr di ən /
noun
a person who guards, protects, or preserves.
Law.
a person who is entrusted by law with the care of the person or property, or both, of another, as a minor or someone legally incapable of managing his or her own affairs.
the superior of a Franciscan convent.
adjective
guarding; protecting: a guardian deity.
Origin of guardian
1375–1425; late Middle English
gardein < Anglo-French. See
warden
pronunciation note for guardian
Guardian is occasionally pronounced with two syllables and with stress on the final syllable:
[gahr-deen] /gɑrˈdin/. This pronunciation is now most characteristic of older, less educated speakers.
OTHER WORDS FROM guardian
guard·i·an·less, adjective un·der·guard·i·an, nounWords nearby guardian
Example sentences from the Web for guardian
British Dictionary definitions for guardian
guardian
/ (ˈɡɑːdɪən) /
noun
one who looks after, protects, or defends
the guardian of public morals
- law someone legally appointed to manage the affairs of a person incapable of acting for himself, as a minor or person of unsound mind
- social welfare (in England) a local authority, or person accepted by it, named under the Mental Health Act 1983 as having the powers to require a mentally disordered person to live at a specified place, attend for treatment, and be accessible to a doctor or social worker
(often capital) (in England) another word for custos
adjective
protecting or safeguarding