guardian

noun

guard·ian | \ ˈgär-dē-ən

Definition of guardian

1 : one that guards : custodian

2 : a superior of a Franciscan monastery

3 : one who has the care of the person or property of another

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Examples of guardian in a Sentence

After the death of her parents, her uncle was appointed as her legal guardian. the state became his guardian when he was put into protective custody

Recent Examples on the Web

Military bases have long been considered as a way to deal with the influx of immigrant children who arrive in the U.S. without guardians. — Leada Gore | Lgore@al.com, al.com, "Fort Benning, located just across Alabama line, may be used to house 5,000 immigrant children," 6 June 2019 Hairdressers play a unique role in the salon business: part hair worker, part therapist, and part guardian of secrets hidden under colored locks. — Longreads, "True Roots," 5 June 2019 Doggie guardians can enjoy special drinks such as the Pink Pooch and the Salty Dog, both $7 (still, not kidding). — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Best happy hours in Miami, Lauderdale, Boca, Delray, West Palm Beach and other South Florida cities.," 12 Mar. 2019 The feature, which GM calls Buckle to Drive, is the latest addition to GM's Teen Driver system that was introduced in 2015; the system also tracks vehicle speed, location, and driving style and provides a report to the driver's parent or guardian. — Drew Dorian, Car and Driver, "New Feature on 2020 Chevrolet and GMC Models Won't Let Car Start Till Driver Fastens Seatbelt," 21 May 2019 Both conversations reveal one damning condemnation of guardians and one glorious truth about young people. — Wade Davis, Good Housekeeping, "It's Time to Stop the Cycle of Shame, and Teach Boys How to Love Themselves," 30 Apr. 2019 Once upon a time, the title of godmother or godfather was a quasi-religious position, used for the most part in Christian communities to signal that the person who took on the title was expected to act as spiritual guardian to the child. — Marris Adikwu, Glamour, ""Will You Be My...Godparent?" How a Religious Rite of Passage Swept Social Media," 2 Apr. 2019 The ruling comes after guardians of three students who attend the school, comprised of 900 students in grades kindergarten through eighth, sued the district in 2016 on behalf of the students, CBS News reports. — Lauren Rearick, Teen Vogue, "A Federal Court Ruled Against a North Carolina School’s Dress Code Requiring Girls to Wear Skirts," 2 Apr. 2019 The state now requires every school to have at least one school police officer or armed guardian in every school. — Scott Travis, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Most applying to be Broward armed guardians fail to meet qualifications," 13 July 2018

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

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Last Updated

11 Jun 2019

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Time Traveler for guardian

The first known use of guardian was in the 15th century

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More Definitions for guardian

guardian

noun

English Language Learners Definition of guardian

: someone or something that watches or protects something

law : someone who takes care of another person or of another person's property

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

guardian

noun

guard·ian | \ ˈgär-dē-ən

Kids Definition of guardian

1 : a person who guards or looks after something : custodian

2 : a person who legally has the care of another person or of another person's property

guardian

noun

guard·ian | \ ˈgär-dē-ən

Legal Definition of guardian

: one who has or is entitled or legally appointed to the care and management of the person or property of another — compare committee, conservator, curator, receiver, tutor

— guardian ad litem \ -ad-ˈlī-təm, -äd-ˈlē-tem \

: a guardian appointed by a court to represent in a particular lawsuit the interests of a minor, a person not yet born, or a person judged incompetent

— guardian by nature

: natural guardian in this entry

— natural guardian

: a guardian by natural relationship having custody of the person but not the property of a minor

Note: Under common law the father is considered the natural guardian of a child until his death or incapacitation, whereupon the mother becomes the natural guardian. Many states have passed statutes giving both parents equal rights as guardians.

— statutory guardian

: a guardian appointed by statutory authority

— testamentary guardian

: a person named in a will to serve as a guardian