tutelary

[ toot-l-er-ee, tyoot- ]

adjective

1. having the position of guardian or protector of a person, place, or thing:

   tutelary saint.

2. of or relating to a guardian or guardianship.

noun

, plural tu·te·lar·ies.

1. a person who has tutelary powers, as a saint, deity, or guardian.

tutelary

/ ˈtjuːtɪlərɪ; ˈtjuːtɪlə /

adjective

1. invested with the role of guardian or protector
2. of or relating to a guardian or guardianship

noun

1. a tutelary person, deity, or saint

Other Words From

• super·tute·lary adjective
• un·tute·lar adjective
• un·tute·lary adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of tutelary¹

1605–15; < Latin tūtēlārius guardian; tutelage, -ary

Example Sentences

Even the warning that a concert is about to begin isn’t the usual docile bells, but a spreading roar of electronics from “Répons” by Pierre Boulez, a tutelary spirit here for decades.

From New York Times

By systemically violating these criteria, and possibly a fourth — "elected authorities possess real authority to govern, in that they are not subject to the tutelary authority of military or clerical leaders" — competitive authoritarian regimes seek to maintain the general appearance of being democracy-like in order to claim legitimacy, but without practicing actual, substantive democracy.

From Salon

James, who will show up briefly in “Mangrove,” played by Derek Griffiths as a kind of tutelary theoretical deity.

From New York Times

“It seems clear that the military continues to have this idea of itself as a tutelary force in politics.”

From New York Times

It is an industry presided over by formidable ghosts, maestros and tutelary deities: Krzystof Kieslowski, Andrzej Wajda, Andzrej Żuławski, Andrzej Munk and Walerian Borowczyk.

From The Guardian