Synonyms

protégé

American

[proh-tuh-zhey, proh-tuh-zhey] / ˈproʊ təˌʒeɪ, ˌproʊ təˈʒeɪ /

noun

a person under the patronage, protection, or care of someone interested in their career or welfare.

protégé British

/ ˈprəʊtɪˌʒeɪ /

noun

a person who is protected and aided by the patronage of another person

"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

Etymology

Origin of protégé

First recorded in 1780–90; from French, noun use of past participle of protéger “to protect” from Latin prōtegere; protect

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.

As Salvador Dalí’s kindred spirit and protégé.

From Los Angeles Times

Meadows, a former international runner, was in France to watch her protege take almost a second off the 800m indoor record, set by Slovenia's Jolanda Ceplak almost 24 years ago.

From BBC

A protege of Martin Luther King Jr, Jackson built a career around working to politically organise and improve the lives of African-Americans, and became a national force during his two White House campaigns.

From BBC

But seeing her one-time protégé wearing bib No. 13 made Street very worried.

From Los Angeles Times

Despite being beaten into second, the American Kim spoke fondly of her protege afterwards.

From Barron's

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023