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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.
Examples of tutelary in a Sentence
Anahid Nersessian, The New York Review of Books, 7 Oct. 2021
In general, rather than tease out a few parallels with her tutelary figures, Bechdel maps their lives closely onto her own.
—Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, 3 May 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
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
Cite this Entry
“Tutelary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tutelary. Accessed 21 May. 2025.
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