guardian

guardian — noun

1. Someone given the legal authority and duty to look after a child or an adult who

1.nounB2
Definition

Someone given the legal authority and duty to look after a child or an adult who cannot manage on their own.

Example

After the accident, the court appointed Tariro as guardian of her younger brother.

passive: appointed as guardian

As a legal guardian, Eri had to make decisions about the child's medical treatment.

Common collocations
  • legal guardian
  • appoint a guardian
  • act as guardian
  • serve as guardian
  • guardian of a child
Synonyms
  • custodian

    more formal; often used for property or institutional care rather than personal guardianship

  • caregiver

    focuses on the act of caring, not the legal status; can be a family member without court appointment

Antonyms
  • ward

    the person who is under the protection of a guardian

Grammar Patterns

guardian + of + noun phrase

Usage Note

Often used in legal or formal settings. A guardian's responsibility typically lasts until a child turns 18 or until a court decides otherwise.

Common Mistakes

The babysitter is a guardian of the children.
The babysitter looks after the children.
'guardian' implies a legal, long-term responsibility, not temporary care.
My teacher is my guardian at school.
My teacher is responsible for me at school.
'guardian' is a legal role appointed by a court or will, not a daily supervisor.

2. A person or organization that works to keep something valuable safe from harm, l

2.nounB2
Definition

A person or organization that works to keep something valuable safe from harm, loss, or damage.

Example

The national park service acts as a guardian of the region's endangered wildlife.

collocation: acts as a guardian of

Roya considers herself a guardian of the recipes that her grandmother left her.

Common collocations
  • guardian of tradition
  • guardian of nature
  • guardian of the forest
Synonyms
  • defender

    suggests active protection against attack or criticism, often in a conflict

  • protector

    closely related and slightly less formal; more general in use

Grammar Patterns

guardian + of + noun phrase

Usage Note

The thing being protected is typically a place, tradition, natural resource, or collection that is considered publicly valuable — not personal property.

Common Mistakes

The security guard is a guardian of the bank.
The security guard protects the bank.
'guardian' suggests a broader, more protective role than a paid security job.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Guardian is a legal term: a person appointed by a court or will to manage the care and affairs of a child or dependent adult. Custodian is more formal and often refers to someone who looks after property or an institution rather than a person — the legal sense of 'custodian' overlaps with 'guardian' in some English-speaking jurisdictions, but learners will more often hear it for building maintenance (a janitor). Caregiver focuses on the daily act of providing physical or emotional care and does not imply any legal authority; a grandparent living with the family is a caregiver without being a legal guardian. Foster parent is a specific status: someone who cares for a child through the foster care system, usually temporarily, whereas a guardian typically has a longer-term, more comprehensive legal role.

guardian ↗custodiancaregiver ↗foster parent

Common collocations

Prepositions

Etymology

Germanic (Frankish)Old FrenchAnglo-FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

Guardian came into English from Anglo-French 'gardeyn', which came from Old French 'garden' (modern French 'gardien'). The root goes back to a Germanic word that also gave us 'ward' and 'guard'. The suffix '-ian' means 'one who does something', so a guardian is literally 'one who guards'.