tutelary
1
9.9
- adjective
- /ˈtjuːtəlɛri/
- Literature
:
tutelar
- Sculptural representations of family or personal ancestors honor tutelary spirits who are engaged by humans to ensure prosperity in life.
- tutelary spirit
- tutelary role
Examples
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The figure may represent the tutelary spirit of a chief or a powerful diviner.
Academic text (1999) -
She felt a strong connection to her tutelary guide during her meditation retreats in the mountains.
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So tutelary spirits or the spirit of a particular place.
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I just watched her, like some sort of tutelary spirit, watched her till she turned over and I could see the dreams invade her eyelids.
Fiction book (2000) -
To that extent, she moves from being a mere Petrarchan goddess to a tutelary genius rooted in a locale.
Academic text (1997) -
Because of conversion to Christianity, people also tend to avoid their matriclans' fertility rites at shrines dedicated to tutelary spirits during the harvest festival.
Academic text (2008) -
In addition to his role as clan mentor, the bear holds a dialectically complex and potent position in the lives of traditional Chippewa, for he is at once an original ancestor, tutelary spirit of the witches' society, a source of vast vengeful energy, and a "brother" to humankind.
Academic text (1997) -
The main character in the story is a tutelary figure, always watching over the children in the village.
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In many cultures, a tutelary spirit is believed to protect individuals from harm and guide them in life.
Synonyms
Antonyms
How Protective
Surface Forms
Morphology
tutelary = tutor (semi-transparent) = tutel + ary
The adjective is formed with the suffix '-ary' on a tutel- stem related to guardianship; the specific historical formation is not productive in modern English and the link to the familiar word 'tutor' is suggestive but not fully predictable for learners.
Etymology
Tutelary comes from the Latin word tutela, which means 'guard' or 'protection', and it shares the same root as the English word tutor. So a tutelary person or spirit is like a guardian that watches over and protects something.