Tutelage

WORD OF THE DAY

tutelage / noun / TOO-tuh-lij

Definition

1a: instruction especially of an individual

1b: a guiding influence

2: the state of being under a guardian or tutor

3a: an act or process of serving as guardian or protector 

3b: guardianship

3c: hegemony over a foreign territory

3d: trusteeship

Examples

Under the tutelage of her high school swim coach, Lynn has greatly improved her times at meets.

"[Jarett Stidham] brings mobility to the position, something the Patriots haven't had with Tom Brady, and could surprise under the tutelage of future Hall of Fame coach Bill Belichick." 

— C. J. Doon, The Baltimore Sun, 30 May 2020

Did You Know?

The Latin verb tueri means "to look at" or "to guard." When tutelage first began appearing in print in the early 1600s, it was used mainly in the protective sense of tueri, as writers described serfs and peasants of earlier eras as being "under the tutelage of their lord." 

Over time, however, the word's meaning shifted away from guardianship and toward instruction. This pattern of meaning can also be seen in the related nouns tutor, which shifted from "a guardian" to "a private teacher," and tuition, which now typically refers to the cost of instruction but which originally referred to the protection, care, or custody by a parent or guardian over a child or ward.