Ward is a word that once had much the same meaning as the word guard. The relationship between the two words may be seen in two of the present meanings of ward that are described below.
In law, a ward is a person who needs to be guarded or protected, and so the court has appointed a guardian for the ward. Most wards are minors (people under legal age). Spendthrifts or people who are mentally unsound, however, may be legally considered wards. A guardian’s duty is to protect the ward’s interests and act in the place of a parent (in loco parentis).
In politics, a ward is a political division of a city. The early use of this name started when cities were divided into wards so that they might be guarded more easily. But today cities are divided into wards chiefly to simplify city government and city elections. For purposes of government, each ward elects one or two aldermen. The aldermen help govern the city and look after the ward.
