in loco parentis
1
9.5
- idiom
- /ɪn ˈloʊkoʊ pəˈrɛntɪs/
- Jargon
:
en loco parentis
- At Rutgers in 1810, faculty stood in loco parentis, but the non-residential nature of Rutgers College made discipline uneven.
- in loco parentis doctrine
- act in loco parentis
- stand in loco parentis
Examples
-
Teachers function in loco parentis and have the rights of parents.
Academic text (1992) -
I remembered my role as a teacher, a mentor, in loco parentis, even though there were real parents everywhere.
Academic text (2005) -
The practice of acting on behalf of parents became known as in loco parentis.
Academic text (1997) -
Pupils are under the care of their teachers, often acting in loco parentis.
Blog text (15) -
The state formally became in loco parentis for Mickey the moment Smithers died.
Fiction book (1998) -
Historically, then, in loco parentis functioned as a doctrine for institutions to govern the behavior of their students in the U.S.
Academic text (2007) -
Teachers have a legal responsibility to act in loco parentis while supervising their students.
-
When the child's parents are unavailable, schools may take on in loco parentis duties to ensure the child's well-being.
-
As a mentor, he acted in loco parentis, providing guidance and support to his younger peers.
Synonyms
19
4.7
A legal duty to care for and protect someone, often a child
How Parental
- Jargon
1
9.5
- Formal
24
3.4
347
2.8
60
1.9
346
2.8
Surface Forms
Morphology
in + loco + parentis
This is a Latin legal/formal phrase rather than a composition of English words; B1 learners knowing English vocabulary will not be able to parse or interpret the Latin elements 'loco' and the genitive 'parentis'. Although the literal sense ('in the place of a parent') is compositional if one knows Latin roots, the foreign-language morphology and register make the expression unpredictable and therefore opaque to typical learners without explicit instruction.
Etymology
In loco parentis is a Latin saying that literally means 'in the place of a parent'. Imagine someone standing in a parent's place, like a teacher who looks after a child and makes choices for them, so the phrase means 'having the responsibilities of a parent'.