# ward

/ˈwɔɹd/ (US) · /wˈɔːd/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/ward
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. hospital room

noun · CEFR B2

a large room in a hospital with several beds for patients who need similar care.

For teachers: a separate room or division in a hospital, typically shared by multiple patients requiring similar medical treatment.

- The nurse walked through the children's ward to check on the patients before her shift ended.
- Following the surgery, the patient was transferred from the intensive care unit to a general surgical ward for long-term recovery.

### 2. voting district

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal

an area of a city or town that has its own local leaders and elections.

For teachers: an administrative division of a city or borough that serves as a constituency for local elections.

- She is running for a seat on the city council to represent our ward.
- The boundary commission proposed redrawing the city's wards to ensure more equitable representation across the growing suburban districts.

### 3. person under guardianship

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal

a person, usually a child, who is legally under the care of a guardian or a court.

For teachers: a person, especially a minor or someone legally incompetent, placed under the protection of a guardian or a court of law.

- After his parents died, the boy became a ward of the state until his aunt was found.
- The court appointed a legal professional to manage the finances of the ward, ensuring the inheritance was protected until the child reached adulthood.

### 4. to repel or push away

verb · CEFR B2

to push away or prevent something bad from happening; usually used with 'off'.

For teachers: to avert, repel, or turn aside something dangerous or unpleasant; almost exclusively used as the phrasal verb 'ward off'.

- She drank plenty of orange juice to ward off the cold she felt coming on.
- The central bank raised interest rates in a desperate attempt to ward off the looming threat of hyperinflation.

Usage: Almost always used with the particle 'off'.

### 5. protection or guard

noun · CEFR C2 · Archaic · Literary

the act of guarding or protecting someone.

For teachers: the action of guarding or the state of being under guard; also refers to a person who performs such duties.

- The knight kept watch and ward over the castle gates all through the night.
- The ancient laws of the realm required the lord to provide watch and ward for all travelers passing through his lands.

## Examples

- The nurse checks on the patients in the surgical ward every hour.
- After the surgery, the patient was moved from the operating theatre to a quiet recovery ward for observation.
- The hospital's expansion plan includes a specialised geriatric ward designed to accommodate the unique mobility and safety needs of elderly patients.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.