ward

noun

\ ˈwȯrd

Definition of ward

(Entry 1 of 10)

1a : the action or process of guarding

b : a body of guards

2 : the state of being under guard especially : custody

3a : the inner court of a castle or fortress

b : a division (such as a cell or block) of a prison

c : a division in a hospital especially : a large room in a hospital where a number of patients often requiring similar treatment are accommodated

4a : a division of a city for representative, electoral, or administrative purposes

b : a division of some English and Scottish counties corresponding to a hundred

c : the Mormon local congregation having auxiliary organizations (such as Sunday schools and relief societies) and one or more quorums of each office of the Aaronic priesthood

5 : a projecting ridge of metal in a lock casing or keyhole permitting only the insertion of a key with a corresponding notch also : a corresponding notch in a bit of a key

6 : a person or thing under guard, protection, or surveillance: such as

a : a minor subject to wardship

b : a person who by reason of incapacity (such as minority or mental illness) is under the protection of a court either directly or through a guardian appointed by the court

— called also ward of court

c : a person or body of persons under the protection or tutelage of a government

7 : a means of defense : protection

ward

verb

warded; warding; wards

Definition of ward (Entry 2 of 10)

transitive verb

1 : to keep watch over : guard

2 : to turn aside (something threatening) : deflect —usually used with off ward off a blowtrying to ward off a cold

-ward

adjective suffix

variants: or less commonly -wards

Definition of -ward (Entry 3 of 10)

1 : that moves, tends, faces, or is directed toward riverward

2 : that occurs or is situated in the direction of leftward

-ward

adverb suffix

variants: or -wards

Definition of -ward (Entry 4 of 10)

1 : in a (specified) spatial or temporal direction upward afterward

2 : toward a (specified) point, position, or area earthward

Ward

biographical name (1)

\ ˈwȯrd

Definition of Ward (Entry 5 of 10)

(Aaron) Montgomery 1843–1913 American merchant

Ward

biographical name (2)

Definition of Ward (Entry 6 of 10)

Ar*te*mas \ ˈär-tə-məs

\ 1727–1800 American general in Revolution

Ward

biographical name (3)

Definition of Ward (Entry 7 of 10)

Artemus — see Charles Farrar browne

Ward

biographical name (4)

Definition of Ward (Entry 8 of 10)

Barbara 1914–1981 Baroness Jackson of Lodsworth English economist

Ward

biographical name (5)

Definition of Ward (Entry 9 of 10)

Sir Joseph George 1856–1930 New Zealand statesman

Ward

biographical name (6)

Definition of Ward (Entry 10 of 10)

Mary Augusta 1851–1920 Mrs. Humphry Ward née Arnold English novelist

Other Words from ward Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about ward

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Examples of ward in a Sentence

Noun

She works in the cancer ward. the council representative from Ward 22 They were wards of the state.

Verb

vowed that he would take whatever measures were necessary to ward the nation's people

Adjective suffix

a rearward movement of troops

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Wendy Kittleson, deputy director of the comptroller’s audit division, confirmed the office did not receive invoices or payment records from AdventHealth for any of the six wards in Volusia County identified by the Sentinel. — Monivette Cordeiro, orlandosentinel.com, "Probe found guardian Rebecca Fierle billed AdventHealth nearly $4 million. Invoices show the total could be higher," 12 Sep. 2019 About 13% of wards in the north-east are classed as left-behind, the country’s highest rate. — The Economist, "A new index finds neglect in Britain’s banlieues," 5 Sep. 2019 Certain libraries still have the weird antiseptic feeling of a hospital ward. — Dan Chiasson, The New Yorker, "Reader, I Googled It," 26 Aug. 2019 Each of the seven political wards has drawn at least three or four candidates. — Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, "28 candidates file for 7 seats on the St. Paul City Council," 13 Aug. 2019 In the case of children who become wards of court, major decisions about their welfare cannot be made without the approval of a judge. — Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, "Dubai’s Princess Haya in court to block her child’s forced marriage," 31 July 2019 The hospital workers of ward 5B grew to feel compassion for their charges at a time when the rest of society shunned them. — Pat Padua, Houston Chronicle, "Moving ‘5B’ AIDS documentary also manipulative," 13 June 2019 Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation has worked to create more greenways and parks, like having a park in each of uptown's four wards and adding the sportsplex in Matthews. — Leah Asmelash, charlotteobserver, "Charlotte's parks are consistently ranked worst in the country. Here's why.," 7 June 2018 Paul Rosenfeld, committeeman of the 47th ward, had talked about mounting a challenge. — Ben Joravsky, Chicago Reader, "News / Politics Chairwoman Preckwinkle's Machine takeover a far cry from days of Fast Eddie," 19 Apr. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

To ward off overheating, large animals such as elephants and rhinos had to evolve strategies to keep cool. — John Pickrell, National Geographic, "New discovery shows how T. rex kept its brain cool," 4 Sep. 2019 In June, a massive plume of Saharan dust made its way from Africa to the Sunshine State, bringing hazy skies and vibrant sunsets while warding off storms. — USA TODAY, "Emoji house, Saharan dust, turtle crossing: News from around our 50 states," 8 Aug. 2019 Before the morning ceremony, protesters trying to force their way to the square were driven back by officers with plastic shields and batons, the retreating protesters pointing open umbrellas to ward off pepper spray. — Ken Moritsugu, Anchorage Daily News, "Hong Kong police clear protesters who occupied legislative building on handover anniversary," 1 July 2019 Arizona's measure is likely to give employers some ability to regulate their workers' consumption to ward off that type of opposition. — Ryan Randazzo, azcentral, "10 things to look for in a ballot measure to legalize recreational marijuana in Arizona," 29 June 2019 The shelter also suggested keeping cats inside overnight, walking dogs on a leash at all times and bringing a whistle or bear spray on walks or hikes to ward off coyotes. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Local animal shelter warns of possible coyote encounters as weather heats up," 13 June 2019 At one point, two workers were seen wrapping the turtle in blue tape, to ward off children. — Steve Annear, BostonGlobe.com, "Remember that turtle sculpture that was ‘burning kids’ in Beacon Hill? It’s being moved," 26 Aug. 2019 Talk of ultrasonic beepers that would ward off sharks mid-assault is everywhere. — Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, "The Summer of Shark Politics on Cape Cod," 22 Aug. 2019 There are ways to ward off negative effects, however, like collecting money before spending it or using the revenue to shore up savings. — Samantha J. Gross, chicagotribune.com, "Taxing legal pot could be good for states, but study says there’s little data to show it," 20 Aug. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ward.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

History and Etymology for ward

Noun

Middle English, from Old English weard & Anglo-French warde, garde, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German warta act of watching, Old English warian to beware of, guard, wær careful — more at guard, wary

Verb

Middle English, from Old English weardian & Anglo-French warder, garder, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German wartēn to watch, Old Norse vartha to guard, Old English weard ward

Adjective suffix

-ward from Middle English, from Old English -weard; akin to Old High German -wart, -wert -ward, Latin vertere to turn; -wards from -wards, adverb suffix — more at worth

Adverb suffix

-ward from Middle English, from Old English -weard, from -weard, adjective suffix; -wards from Middle English, from Old English -weardes, genitive singular neuter of -weard, adjective suffix

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More Definitions for ward

ward

noun

English Language Learners Definition of ward

: a section in a hospital for patients needing a particular kind of care

US : a section in a prison

: one of the sections into which a city or town is divided for the purposes of an election

See the full definition for ward in the English Language Learners Dictionary

ward

noun

\ ˈwȯrd

Kids Definition of ward

(Entry 1 of 4)

1 : a large room in a hospital where a number of patients often needing similar treatment are cared for

2 : one of the parts into which a town or city is divided for management

3 : a person under the protection of a guardian

ward

verb

warded; warding

Kids Definition of ward (Entry 2 of 4)

: to avoid being hit or affected by Wear a sweater to ward off the cold.

-ward

adjective suffix

\ wərd\

variants: also -wards \ wərdz \

Kids Definition of -ward

(Entry 1 of 4)

1 : that moves, faces, or is pointed toward windward

2 : that is found in the direction of

-ward

adverb suffix

variants: or -wards

Kids Definition of -ward (Entry 2 of 4)

1 : in a specified direction upward

2 : toward a specified place

ward

noun

\ ˈwȯ(ə)rd

Medical Definition of ward

: a division in a hospital especially : a large room in a hospital where a number of patients often requiring similar treatment are accommodated a diabetic ward