1
a
: the action or process of guarding
b
: 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
Zeese Papanikolas2
: the state of being under guard
especially
: custody
3
a
: the inner court of a castle or fortress
b
: a division (such as a cell or block) of a prison
4
a
: a division of a city for representative, electoral, or administrative purposes
b
: a division of some English and Scottish counties corresponding to a hundred
c
: 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
5
: 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
6
: a person or thing under guard, protection, or surveillance: such as
a
: a minor subject to wardship
b
: 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
c
: a person or body of persons under the protection or tutelage of a government
7
: a means of defense : protection
warded; warding; wards
variants
or less commonly -wards
1
: that moves, tends, faces, or is directed toward
riverward
2
: that occurs or is situated in the direction of
leftward
-ward
4 of 4adverb suffix
variants
or -wards
1
: in a (specified) spatial or temporal direction
upward
afterward
2
: toward a (specified) point, position, or area
earthward
Synonyms
Examples of ward in a Sentence
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
Craig Gilbert, Journal Sentinel, 21 Nov. 2024
There is no specific information on the woman’s condition, but Amnesty International has found evidence that people detained in psychiatric wards have been subject to torture, beatings and other mistreatment.
—Hannah Peart, NBC News, 14 Nov. 2024
Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 30 June 2024
This was the story of a doctor played by your dad who was attending to ward full of patients who were essentially alive but not able to communicate.
—Taylor Wilson, USA TODAY, 12 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for ward 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Noun
Finally, Baldwin outperformed Harris a little bit more in wards with younger populations.
—Craig Gilbert, Journal Sentinel, 21 Nov. 2024
There is no specific information on the woman’s condition, but Amnesty International has found evidence that people detained in psychiatric wards have been subject to torture, beatings and other mistreatment.
—Hannah Peart, NBC News, 14 Nov. 2024
Verb
Lady Jeyne Arryn has agreed to ward Rhaenyra’s danger-magnet scion in exchange for the protection of a dragon.
—Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 30 June 2024
This was the story of a doctor played by your dad who was attending to ward full of patients who were essentially alive but not able to communicate.
—Taylor Wilson, USA TODAY, 12 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for ward
Dictionary Entries Near ward
Cite this Entry
“Ward.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ward. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
ward
1 of 4 noun1
: the action or process of guarding or of being under guard
especially
: custody sense 1
2
a
: a division in a hospital
especially
: a large room in a hospital where a number of patients stay
b
: a division (as a cell or block) of a prison
3
: an electoral or administrative division of a city
4
: a person (as a child) under the protection of a court or guardian
-ward
3 of 4 adjective suffixwərd
variants
also -wards
wərdz
1
: that moves, tends, faces, or is directed toward
windward
2
: that occurs or is located in the direction of
rearward
-ward
4 of 4 adverb suffix
variants
or -wards
1
: in a (specified) direction
rearwards
afterward
2
: 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
: 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
noun1
: a division of a city for representative, electoral, or administrative purposes
2
a
: a person who by reason of incapacity (as minority or incompetency) is under the control of a guardian
b
: 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
2 of 6biographical name (2)
Ar*te*mas
ˈär-tə-məs 
1727–1800 American general in Revolution
1727–1800 American general in Revolution
Ward
3 of 6biographical name (3)
Artemus see Charles Farrar browne
Ward
4 of 6biographical name (4)
Barbara 1914–1981 Baroness Jackson of Lodsworth English economist
Ward
5 of 6biographical name (5)
Sir Joseph George 1856–1930 New Zealand statesman
Ward
6 of 6biographical name (6)
Mary Augusta 1851–1920 Mrs. Humphry Ward née Arnold English novelist
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