tutelary

1 of 2

adjective

tu·​te·​lary ˈtü-tə-ˌler-ē 

ˈtyü-

1

: having the guardianship of a person or a thing

a tutelary goddess

2

: of or relating to a guardian

tutelary

2 of 2

noun

plural tutelaries

: a tutelary power (such as a deity)

Did you know?

Tutelary derives from the Latin noun tutelarius, meaning "guardian." Tutelarius, in turn, was formed by combining the word tutela ("protection" or "guardian") and -arius, a suffix that implies belonging and connection. A more familiar descendant of tutela in English might be tutelage, which initially referred to guardianship or protection, but came to be used to refer to teaching or influence. If you suspect that tutor is also related, you are correct. Tutelary can also be a noun referring to a power (such as a deity) who acts as a guardian.

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Even among the eccentric annals of poets who talked to God, angels, tutelary spirits, and disincorporated souls, Fernando Pessoa is a special case. —Anahid Nersessian, The New York Review of Books, 7 Oct. 2021

Charles Dickens, whose novels are mentioned several times by narrators, hovers as a kind of tutelary spirit over the book. —BostonGlobe.com, 6 May 2021

Above these people rises an immense and tutelary power, which alone takes charge of assuring their pleasures and looking after their fate. —Cameron Hilditch, National Review, 1 May 2021

There are comedy bits, fabulous costumes (by Toni-Leslie James) and musical interludes, some involving Marilyn Monroe (Sawyer Smith) as a tutelary spirit. —Jesse Green, New York Times, 4 June 2019

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1611, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1652, in the meaning defined above

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