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guardianship

guardianship

19 4.7
A legal duty to care for and protect someone, often a child
  • noun
  • /ˈɡɑrdɪənˌʃɪp/
  • Formal
translation icon : tutela
  • He approached the court to seek formal guardianship of his niece after her parents were unable to care for her.
  • a legal guardianship
  • guardianship of children
  • assume guardianship

And he said, yeah, her parents gave him consent and gave him like, guardianship over her in California.

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Examples

  • The court has granted legal guardianship of Richie Rich to Laurence Van Dough, trusted friend of the Rich family.

  • May's own death in 1853 prompted his oldest brother Reuben to assume May's guardianship over Levi's children.

    Academic text (2011)
  • My property is to be placed under the guardianship... of my brother and sister.

  • Tell us, is your continued guardianship... really in the best interest of this little girl?

  • If your parents are truly gone then your guardianship falls to me.

  • Well, should you choose not to accept guardianship, the children would be put in foster care.

  • In several instances, the teacher was granted legal guardianship of the students.

    Academic text (1992)
  • I'm sorry, did Alison and Peter talk to you about their guardianship arrangements?

  • You won't officially have guardianship until the hearing on Thursday morning.

  • Older caregivers may be unfamiliar with guardianship and may not know if it could help or hinder their caregiving.

    Academic text (2018)

Synonyms

custody
vsguardianship
  • Formal
333 3.8

Legal right to care for and control a child after parents separate

is a broader legal role of caring and protecting children beyond court separation cases
tutelage
vsguardianship
  • Formal
4 6.8

Care and protection by someone responsible for another person

is the formal legal responsibility to care for a child rather than general supervision
conservatorship
vsguardianship
  • Specialized
4 9.5

A court arrangement that appoints a person to manage someone's money and personal affairs when they cannot

focuses on legal care and protection of a child rather than managing affairs
custodianship
vsguardianship
  • Formal
1 7.0

The job of looking after and managing things like property, records, or a building

is specifically a legal duty to protect and raise a child, not general caretaking
wardship
vsguardianship
  • Formal
9.1

A person, usually a child, who is legally under a guardian's care and control

is the broader legal responsibility to care for and protect a child

Antonyms

100 3.5

Not caring for someone or something that needs care

18 4.9

Stopping support or care for someone who depends on you

How Responsible

custody
  • Formal
333 3.8
guardianship
  • Formal
19 4.7

Surface Forms

guardianship singular
guardianships plural

Morphology

guardianship = guardian (transparent) = guardian + ship

Formed from the noun 'guardian' plus the productive suffix '-ship' meaning state or office, so the meaning is directly derived.

Etymology

Guardianship comes from guardian, from guard meaning 'to watch or protect', and the ending -ship, like in friendship, meaning 'state or position'. So guardianship is the state or job of being a guardian and means the legal duty of caring for and protecting someone.