tutelage
noun
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Tutelage comes from the Latin verb tueri, meaning "to look at" or "to guard." When it first appeared in English at the turn of the 17th century, this word was used mainly in the protective sense of tueri; writers would describe serfs and peasants of earlier eras as being "under the tutelage of their lord." Over time, however, the word's meaning shifted away from guardianship and toward instruction. This pattern of meaning can also be seen in the related nouns tutor, which shifted from "a guardian" to "a private teacher," and tuition, which now typically refers to the cost of instruction but which originally referred to the protection, care, or custody by a parent or guardian over a child or ward.
Examples of tutelage in a Sentence
Jake Kring-Schreifels, Time, 27 June 2025
Under his tutelage, Thestand4rd dropped a record and toured the U.S.
—Eamon Whalen, Rolling Stone, 26 June 2025
Despite his brief tutelage under Astin, Rabil joked that those lessons didn’t sink in.
—Edward Lee, Baltimore Sun, 20 June 2025
Under his Hassanein’s tutelage, rose to SVP of Advertising for the division.
—Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 2 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for tutelage
Cite this Entry
“Tutelage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tutelage. Accessed 10 Jul. 2025.
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tutelage
noun
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