ward
C1Formal, medical, legal, historical
Definition
Meaning
A separate room or area in a hospital, typically for patients with a similar condition; also, an administrative division of a city or town.
A person, especially a child, placed under the protection or care of a legal guardian or court; the act of guarding or protecting; to turn aside or avert (as in 'ward off').
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
'Ward' as a noun denotes both a physical space (hospital, prison) and a social/legal relationship (guardianship). As a verb, it's almost exclusively used in the phrasal verb 'ward off'. The city division sense is largely historical in the UK and obsolete in the US.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The 'administrative division of a city' sense is more historically current in UK usage (e.g., 'council ward'). The phrase 'ward off' is equally common. The medical 'hospital ward' is universal, though US hospitals may more often use terms like 'unit' or 'floor'.
Connotations
In the UK, 'ward' can have stronger municipal/governmental associations. In the US, the primary association is medical or legal (guardianship).
Frequency
Higher frequency in UK English due to its municipal and common medical usage. In US English, it is a mid-to-low-frequency word, mostly medical/legal.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[Noun] wardward of [Noun]ward [someone/something] offVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Ward off evil”
- “A ward of the state”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare. Possibly in 'wardrobe' (clothing business) context, but not the word itself.
Academic
Used in medical, nursing, legal, historical, and urban studies contexts.
Everyday
Primarily in medical contexts ('visiting someone on the ward') or the phrase 'ward off' ('ward off a cold').
Technical
Specific in healthcare (types of wards), law (wardship), and historical geography (political wards).
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- She took vitamins to ward off infection.
- The knight raised his shield to ward off the blow.
American English
- He used bug spray to ward off mosquitoes.
- The mayor tried to ward off criticism from the press.
adverb
British English
- (No common adverbial use)
American English
- (No common adverbial use)
adjective
British English
- The ward sister is in charge of the unit.
- Ward boundaries were redrawn last year.
American English
- The ward nurse will check your vitals.
- The hospital's ward policy is very strict.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- My sister works in a hospital ward.
- Garlic can help ward off colds.
- After the accident, he spent a night in the surgical ward.
- She became a ward of the state after her parents died.
- The psychiatric ward has a dedicated team of therapists.
- The councillor was elected to represent the central ward.
- The court appointed a guardian for the minor, who was made a ward of court.
- Ancient amulets were worn to ward off malevolent spirits.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a HOSPITAL GUARD standing at the entrance to a WARD, ready to WARD OFF any trouble.
Conceptual Metaphor
PROTECTION IS A SHIELD ('ward off attacks'); AN INSTITUTION IS A CONTAINER ('children's ward', 'psychiatric ward').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid confusing with 'wardrobe' (гардероб, шкаф).
- The 'ward of court' concept has a specific legal equivalent (подопечный).
- The verb 'ward' is almost never used alone, only in 'ward off' (отбивать, отгонять).
Common Mistakes
- Using 'ward' as a standalone verb (e.g., 'He warded the blow' is incorrect; must be 'He warded off the blow').
- Confusing 'ward' (guardian) with 'warden' (custodian, official).
- Misspelling as 'word'.
Practice
Quiz
In which context would 'ward' LEAST likely be used?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It's mid-frequency. Most common in the phrase 'ward off' and in medical contexts ('hospital ward'). The legal and city division senses are more formal/specialized.
A 'ward' is the person (often a child) under protection. The 'guardian' is the person or entity providing that protection. A child can be a 'ward' of their 'guardian' or of the court.
Virtually never in modern English. It is almost exclusively used in the phrasal verb 'ward off' meaning to prevent, avert, or deflect.
Primarily in UK and Commonwealth local government (electoral wards). In the US, this usage is largely historical; terms like 'precinct', 'district', or 'ward' (only in a few cities like Chicago) are used instead.
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