Other forms: guardians
A guardian is the adult legally responsible for a child who is not their own. A legal guardian, appointed guardian, parent or guardian.
Parent or guardian is the standard formula on school forms, and the responsibility is a legal one rather than a description of who does the caring. The word also means a protector of anything: a guardian of the constitution, the guardians of the site. Guardian angel is the traditional idea of a protective spirit assigned to a person. Note guardianship, and that guard, ward and warden are all relatives.
1nounguardianThe adult legally responsible for a child who is not their own.
“Her aunt was appointed guardian when she was nine.”
2nounprotectorA protector of something.
“The trust sees itself as the guardian of the whole valley.”
guardian is a protector.
Old French guardein comes from a Germanic root meaning to watch — the same root as ward and warden. The Norman French g and the native English w are the same sound taking two routes, which is why English has both guardian and warden.
Old French
guardein
Middle English
gardein
English, today
guardian
From Middle English gardein, garden, (also wardein, > Modern English warden), from Old French guardein, from the verb guarder, of gem origin. Compare French gardien. a doublet of warden. by surface analysis, guard + -ian.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA
Practised in Family & People