protector

noun pro·tec·tor \ prə-ˈtek-tər \

Definition of protector

1 a :one that protects :guardian

b :a device used to prevent injury :guard

2 a :one having the care of a kingdom during the king's minority :regent

b :the executive head of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland, and Ireland from 1653 to 1659 — called also Lord Protector of the Commonwealth

—

protectorship

play \-ˌship\ noun

See protector defined for English-language learners

See protector defined for kids

Examples of protector in a Sentence

She sees her older brother as her protector.
a protector of free speech

Recent Examples of protector from the Web

At Colorado’s Gold King Mine, our would-be environmental protectors blew out millions of gallons of acid-mine drainage and metal contaminants.

— rob gordon, National Review, "The EPA Still Hasn’t Been Held Accountable for the Gold King Mine Blowout," 28 July 2017
Other notable taxable items: cosmetics, jewelry, sunglasses and eyeglasses, watches, hearing protectors, helmets, band instruments and wetsuits.

— leada gore, AL.com, "You can buy diapers tax free in Alabama this weekend," 19 July 2017
Americans might have to become the guardian of Western culture, the protector of Christian civilization.

— dennis prager, National Review, "The Atlantic Publishes All You Need to Know about the Left," 11 July 2017
Today’s tester is the top-line Hybrid Limited Platinum, which was $49,204 with two options for a rear bumper protector ($139) and carpeted floor mats and a cargo mat ($225).

— mark maynard, sandiegouniontribune.com, "2017 Toyota Highlander Hybrid: Road-trip ready," 7 July 2017
With their foreheads touching the ground, inductees pledge to honor the institution and obey the world’s richest royal family, which shares prestige and power in this Southeast Asian kingdom ,twith its chief protector, the army.

— feliz solomon / bangkok, Time, "Unlocked for 1 Week Only!," 29 June 2017
According to some screen protectors released early, the iPhone 8 could be a whole 1.1 inches larger than the iPhone 7.

— marissa miller, Teen Vogue, "Every Rumor About the iPhone 8," 29 June 2017
McBurney (Colin Farrell) senses a golden opportunity in his protectors.

— michael phillips, chicagotribune.com, "'The Beguiled': Colin Farrell wreaks havoc with cloister of Southern belles," 29 June 2017
This group of protectors included notable figures such as Winston Churchill and Harriet Tubman, which raises many questions as to why Harriet Tubman never used her Transformers to help free slaves.

— dana schwartz, Marie Claire, "There Has Never Been a Worse Movie Than 'Transformers: The Last Knight'," 28 June 2017

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