Tutelary
adj, noun ·Moderate ·College level
Definitions
- 1 A deity or spirit serving as a guardian or protector of a place, person, culture, etc.; a tutelar, a tutelary deity.
"The qualifications demanded in a tutelary are activity combined with power over the minor malignant devils. Thus most of the superior celestial Buddhas and Bodhisats may be, and are, tutelaries. But the favourite ones are the great demon-kings, […]"
- 1 Relating to guardianship or protection.
"When a minor is involved, tutelary powers frequently accompany powers of attorney."
- 2 Of or pertaining to a guardian.
"My uncle is always happy to discharge his tutelary responsibilities towards me."
- 3 Having the qualities of a tutor.
"She loved him so passionately, and he was so godlike in her eyes; and being, though untrained, instinctively refined, her nature cried for his tutelary guidance. And thus, though Tess kept repeating to herself, 'I can never be his wife,' the words were vain."
- 1 providing protective supervision; watching over or safeguarding wordnet
Example
More examples"When a minor is involved, tutelary powers frequently accompany powers of attorney."
Etymology
From Latin tūtēlārius (“guardian”), from tūtēla (“tutelage, guardianship; dependent, client”) + -ārius (suffix denoting an agent of use); analysable as tutelar + -ary.
Related phrases
More for "tutelary"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.