guardian
Americannoun
adjective
noun
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one who looks after, protects, or defends
the guardian of public morals
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law someone legally appointed to manage the affairs of a person incapable of acting for himself, as a minor or person of unsound mind
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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
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(often capital) (in England) another word for custos
adjective
Pronunciation
Guardian is occasionally pronounced with two syllables and with stress on the final syllable: . This pronunciation is now most characteristic of older, less educated speakers.
Other Word Forms
- guardianless adjective
- guardianship noun
- underguardian noun
Etymology
Origin of guardian
First recorded in 1375–1425; from late Middle English gardein, from Anglo-French. See warden
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A public consultation on whether to ban social media for under-16s is being launched on Monday, inviting young people and their parents and guardians to submit comments ahead of a government decision on the proposal.
From BBC
He is also designated as the most senior guardian of the Shiite faith.
All have vowed to investigate corruption and work as "guardians" of Gen Z.
From BBC
A conservator/guardian would be appointed by the courts to oversee his financial, physical and medical wellbeing.
From MarketWatch
The service will initially be available through emails, texts, WhatsApp messages and in-app notifications for parents and guardians in the U.S.,
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
