ward

1 of 4

noun

ˈwȯrd

Synonyms of ward next

: the action or process of guarding

: a body of guards

c(1)

: a division in a hospital

a maternity ward

(2)

: a large room in a hospital where a number of patients often requiring similar treatment are accommodated

Wallace Thurman died in 1934 in the tuberculosis ward of the New York City charity hospital on Welfare Island.—

Zeese Papanikolas

: the state of being under guard

especially : custody

: the inner court of a castle or fortress

: a division (such as a cell or block) of a prison

: a division of a city for representative, electoral, or administrative purposes

: a division of some English and Scottish counties corresponding to a hundred

: the Mormon local congregation having auxiliary organizations (such as Sunday schools and relief societies) and one or more quorums of each office of the Aaronic priesthood

: a projecting ridge of metal in a lock casing or keyhole permitting only the insertion of a key with a corresponding notch

also : a corresponding notch in a bit of a key

: a person or thing under guard, protection, or surveillance: such as

: a minor subject to wardship

: a person who by reason of incapacity (such as minority or mental illness) is under the protection of a court either directly or through a guardian appointed by the court

called also ward of court

: a person or body of persons under the protection or tutelage of a government

: a means of defense : protection

ward

2 of 4

verb

warded; warding; wards

transitive verb

: to keep watch over : guard

: to turn aside (something threatening) : deflect

—usually used with off

ward off a blowtrying to ward off a cold

-ward

3 of 4

adjective suffix

variants or less commonly -wards

: that moves, tends, faces, or is directed toward

riverward

: that occurs or is situated in the direction of

leftward

-ward

4 of 4

adverb suffix

variants or -wards

: in a (specified) spatial or temporal direction

upward

afterward

: toward a (specified) point, position, or area

earthward

Example Sentences

Noun She works in the cancer ward. the council representative from Ward 22 They were wards of the state. Verb vowed that he would take whatever measures were necessary to ward the nation's people Adjective suffix a rearward movement of troops

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The Central Jail is the only one of the region’s six detention facilities with a dedicated psychiatric ward, but staffing is difficult. —

Blake Nelson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Apr. 2023 Perillos is in prison, helping assist in the medical ward. —

Tanya Melendez, EW.com, 3 Apr. 2023 He was made a trustee in the medical ward. —

Edward Kiersh, SPIN, 11 Feb. 2023 More than two dozen women, gathering for a weekly prayer meeting that predated the outbreak, sang Christian hymns in a hospital ward. —

John Eligon, BostonGlobe.com, 22 Jan. 2023 During an evening news conference, authorities said Mr. Messina Denaro’s treatment could continue at a hospital prison ward. —

Frances D'emilio, The Christian Science Monitor, 17 Jan. 2023 No more than two members can be from the same ward. —

Megan Becka, cleveland, 29 Dec. 2022 Shout it with me, then, shout it to the world, shout it to your ward. —

Gordon Monson, The Salt Lake Tribune, 25 Dec. 2022 Had someone — anyone — spent enough time to see more than just another a body filling the overflowing Covid-19 ward? —

Trisha S. Pasricha, STAT, 16 Dec. 2022

Verb

Residents line their irrigation ditches with shells, hang blue bottles from trees to ward off evil spirits and weave intricate baskets with seagrass found along the coast. —

Sara Novak, Scientific American, 6 Apr. 2023 Long before the drugstore staple became TikTok’s go-to product for slugging, my mother used to slather the occlusive all over my face to ward off dryness and keep my skin buttery smooth. —

Nerisha Penrose, ELLE, 31 Mar. 2023 Harriet was last seen on Thursday, Feb. 2 when officials reported her flying northwest to ward off intruders from the nest. —

Samantha Neely, USA TODAY, 12 Feb. 2023 Originally built as a castle and defensive fort to ward off attacks from sea, Akershus has since served as a military base, prison and a royal residence. —

David Nikel, Forbes, 12 Feb. 2023 To ward off rising crime, neighborhood groups and activists worked with city leaders to revitalize downtown by expanding public transit, preserving historic buildings and fostering new public space and retail stores. —

Jenny Jarvie, Anchorage Daily News, 10 Feb. 2023 Some are lucibufagins—defensive chemicals fireflies secrete to ward off predators like spiders and birds. —

Melissa Breyer, Treehugger, 3 Feb. 2023 Fashion meets function in Buck Mason to ward off the Spring elements in style with a water-repellent finish. —

Maverick Li, Men's Health, 3 Feb. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ward.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Old English weard & Anglo-French warde, garde, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German warta act of watching, Old English warian to beware of, guard, wær careful — more at guard, wary

Verb

Middle English, from Old English weardian & Anglo-French warder, garder, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German wartēn to watch, Old Norse vartha to guard, Old English weard ward

Adjective suffix

-ward from Middle English, from Old English -weard; akin to Old High German -wart, -wert -ward, Latin vertere to turn; -wards from -wards, adverb suffix — more at worth

Adverb suffix

-ward from Middle English, from Old English -weard, from -weard, adjective suffix; -wards from Middle English, from Old English -weardes, genitive singular neuter of -weard, adjective suffix

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of ward was before the 12th century

See more words from the same century

Cite this Entry

Style

“Ward.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ward. Accessed 9 Jul. 2023.

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Kids Definition

ward

1 of 4 noun

ˈwȯ(ə)rd

: the action or process of guarding or of being under guard

especially : custody sense 1

: a division in a hospital

especially : a large room in a hospital where a number of patients stay

: a division (as a cell or block) of a prison

: an electoral or administrative division of a city

: a person (as a child) under the protection of a court or guardian

ward

2 of 4 verb

: to keep watch over : guard

: to turn aside : deflect

—usually used with off

ward off a cold

-ward

3 of 4 adjective suffix

wərd

variants also -wards

wərdz

: that moves, tends, faces, or is directed toward

windward

: that occurs or is located in the direction of

rearward

-ward

4 of 4 adverb suffix

variants or -wards

: in a (specified) direction

rearwards

afterward

: toward a (specified) point, position, or area

skyward

Etymology

Adjective suffix

Old English -weard (adjective suffix) "being or moving in the direction of"

Medical Definition

ward

noun

ˈwȯ(ə)rd

: a division in a hospital

a maternity ward

especially : a large room in a hospital where a number of patients often requiring similar treatment are accommodated

a tuberculosis ward

Legal Definition

ward

noun

ˈwȯrd

: a division of a city for representative, electoral, or administrative purposes

: a person who by reason of incapacity (as minority or incompetency) is under the control of a guardian

: a person who by reason of incapacity is under the protection of a court either directly or through a guardian appointed by the court

called also ward of the court

compare interdict

wardship noun

Biographical Definition

Ward 1 of 6

biographical name (1)

ˈwȯrd

(Aaron) Montgomery 1843–1913 American merchant

Ward

2 of 6

biographical name (2)

Ar*te*mas ˈär-tə-məs

1727–1800 American general in Revolution

Ward

3 of 6

biographical name (3)

Artemus see Charles Farrar browne

Ward

4 of 6

biographical name (4)

Barbara 1914–1981 Baroness Jackson of Lodsworth English economist

Ward

5 of 6

biographical name (5)

Sir Joseph George 1856–1930 New Zealand statesman

Ward

6 of 6

biographical name (6)

Mary Augusta 1851–1920 Mrs. Humphry Ward née Arnold English novelist

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ward

noun

verb

adjective suffix

adverb suffix

Synonyms

Example Sentences

Word History

Dictionary Entries Near ward

Cite this Entry

Kids Definition

Medical Definition

Legal Definition

Biographical Definition

biographical name (1)

biographical name (2)

biographical name (3)

biographical name (4)

biographical name (5)

biographical name (6)