ward

WORD/wɔɹd/UKWAWD/wɔːd/

Pluralwards

Verbwards, warding, warded

16 meanings of ward

Practice

1
city districtnouncountable or uncountable
One of the parts a city is divided into for voting and local government.
Our ward elects one member to the city council.
People in this ward voted to build the new park.
UsageYou live in a ward.
Similardistrict, precinct, division, constituency
Note
2
hospital roomnouncountable or uncountable
A room or part of a hospital with beds for sick people, or a part of a prison.
Like a big shared bedroom inside a hospital.
The nurse checked on every patient in the ward before lunch.
He was moved to a quieter ward after his surgery.
UsageSay the children's ward or the maternity ward.
Similarunit
3
fend offverbtransitive
To stop something bad from hurting you or coming near you, as in 'ward off a cold'.
Like holding up an umbrella so the rain never reaches you.
She waved a stick to ward off the angry dog.
She wears a warm scarf to ward off the winter cold.
UsageSay ward it off (not ~~incorrect: ward off it~~).
Similarfend off, stave off, repel, avert, deflect
Oppositeattract
Note
4
protected personnouncountable
Someone that a guardian, a court, or the government is legally responsible for looking after.
After her illness, Grandma became my uncle's ward, and he now helps manage her money.
The guardian visits each of her wards once a week to check on them.
UsageSay a ward of the state.
Similarcharge
Note
5
magic barriernouncountable or uncountable
A magic spell or object meant to keep danger or enemies away.
The wizard put a ward around the village so that no enemy could find it.
The castle's wards kept everyone out for a hundred years.
UsagePut a ward around a place.
Similarcharm, spell, talisman
Note

Less common meanings

6
protectverbtransitive
To keep someone or something safe from danger.
Tall walls ward the city from the cold sea wind.
The soldiers warded the gate against the enemy attack.
Similarguard, protect, shield, defend
7
custodynounarchaiccountable or uncountable
The care and protection of someone, especially a child or a prisoner.
I must attend his majesty's command, to whom I am now in ward.
c. 1604, William Shakespeare, “All’s Well, that Ends Well”Here, ward means care and custody, being under someone's control.
It is also inconvenient, in Ireland, that the wards and marriages of gentlemen's children should be in the disposal of any of those lords.
1596, Edmund Spenser, A Vewe of the Present State of Irelande
Similarcustody, guardianship, care, keeping, charge
Note
8
verbintransitive
To stay awake and watch carefully so you can guard against danger.
UsageYou may see watch and ward in older writing.
Similarwatch
Note
9
nounarchaiccountable or uncountable
The work of keeping watch and guarding a place or its people.
The soldiers kept ward on the walls all night.
The shepherds took turns at watch and ward over their flocks.
UsageMostly in keep ward and watch and ward.
Similarwatch, guard, vigil, surveillance
Note
10
nounobsolete
A guard or watchman who protects a place or its people.
Note
11
castle yardnouncountable or uncountable
An area of a castle that lies inside one ring of the castle's walls.
Soldiers trained with swords in the castle's inner ward.
The castle had three rings of walls, and each ward was harder to reach than the one outside it.
Similarbailey, courtyard, enclosure
Note
12
noun
In the Latter-day Saint church, a local group of members who meet and worship together.
13
noun
The ridges in a lock that block the wrong key, or the cuts in the right key that pass them.
14
noun
A movement or position used to block an attack, as in sword fighting.
15
nounUK
In Britain, one of the parts that a large forest is divided into.
16
noun
An old Scottish system where people held land in return for serving as soldiers.

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of ward apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origins

Meaning 10

From Old English weard, meaning a keeper, watchman, or guardian.

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 1 fact

Ward derives from Old English weard, which meant keeper, watchman, or guardian. en.wiktionary.org

Meanings 1–2, 4–5, 7, 9, 11

From Old English weard, meaning watching, protection, or guardianship.

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 2 facts

Ward derives from Old English weard. en.wiktionary.org
Old English weard meant watching, protection, or guardianship. en.wiktionary.org

Meanings 3, 6, 8

From Old English weardian, meaning to watch, guard, or protect.

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 2 facts

The verb ward derives from Old English weardian. en.wiktionary.org
Old English weardian meant to watch, guard, or protect. en.wiktionary.org