guardian

/ˈɡɑːdɪən/noun

A person who protects or watches over someone or something.

Example sentence

“After her parents died, her aunt became her legal guardian.”

In law, a guardian has formal authority over a child or dependent adult, which is why school forms say 'parent or guardian'. A 'guardian angel' protects invisibly.

family

Related words

orphanA child whose parents have died, or (less commonly) who has lost one parent.partnerThe person someone shares a romantic relationship or home life with, such as a spouse.twinOne of two children (or animals) carried in the same womb at the same time and born at the same birth.divorceThe official ending of a marriage by law.godfatherA man who agrees at a child's baptism to help guide the child's upbringing, especially in the Christian faith.weddingThe ceremony at which two people are married.