guard⋅i⋅an
[gahr-dee-uh
n]
| 1. | a person who guards, protects, or preserves. |
| 2. | Law. a person who is entrusted by law with the care of the person or property, or both, of another, as a minor or someone legally incapable of managing his or her own affairs. |
| 3. | the superior of a Franciscan convent. |
| 4. | guarding; protecting: a guardian deity. |
Related forms:
1. protector, defender.
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Guardian
Guard"i*an\, n. [OF. guardain, gardien, F. gardien, LL. guardianus. See Guard, v. t., and cf. Wasden.]1. One who guards, preserves, or secures; one to whom any person or thing is committed for protection, security, or preservation from injury; a warden. 2. (Law) One who has, or is entitled to, the custody of the person or property of an infant, a minor without living parents, or a person incapable of managing his own affairs. Of the several species of guardians, the first are guardians by nature. -- viz., the father and (in some cases) the mother of the child. --Blockstone. Guardian ad litem(Law), a guardian appointed by a court of justice to conduct a particular suit. Guardians of the poor, the members of a board appointed or elected to care for the relief of the poor within a township, or district.Guardian
Guard"i*an\, a. Performing, or appropriate to, the office of a protector; as, a guardian care. Feast of Guardian Angels (R. C. Ch.) a church festival instituted by Pope Paul V., and celebrated on October 2d. Guardian angel. (a) The particular spiritual being believed in some branches of the Christian church to have guardianship and protection of each human being from birth. (b) Hence, a protector or defender in general. --O. W. Holmes. Guardian spirit, in the belief of many pagan nations, a spirit, often of a deceased relative or friend, that presides over the interests of a household, a city, or a region.Cite This Source
Guardian
An individual who has been given the legal responsibility to care for a child or adult who is incapable of taking care of themselves due to age or lack of capacity. The appointed individual is often responsible for both the taking care of the ward (the child or incapable adult) and their affairs.
Also referred to as a "conservator" when referring to an adult in need of care.
Investopedia Commentary
The guardian is usually either named or appointed in a will or in a court of law by a judge. Often a parent will name a guardian to their children in the event of their death or inability to provide for their children.
Related Links
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See also: Beneficiary, Will
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Main Entry: guard·ian
Pronunciation: 'gär-dE-&n
Function: noun
: one who has or is entitled or legally appointed to the care and management of the person or property of another —compare COMMITTEE, CONSERVATOR, CURATOR, RECEIVER, TUTOR
guardian ad li·tem
/-ad-'lI-t&m, -äd-'lE-tem/
: a guardian appointed by a court to represent in a particular lawsuit the interests of a minor, a person not yet born, or a person judged incompetent
guardian by nature
: NATURAL GUARDIAN in this entry
natural guardian
: a guardian by natural relationship having custody of the person but not the property of a minor
NOTE: Under common law the father is considered the natural guardian of a child until his death or incapacitation, whereupon the mother becomes the natural guardian. Many states have passed statutes giving both parents equal rights as guardians.
statutory guardian
: a guardian appointed by statutory authority
testamentary guardian
: a person named in a will to serve as a guardian —guard·ian·ship noun
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