Guardian Law & Legal Definition

Guardian is a person who has the legal authority and duty to care for another's person or property especially due to the other person’s infancy, incapacity, or disability. A guardian may be appointed either for all purposes or for a specific purpose.

The term guardian was also used to refer to a mesne lord who was entitled to treat an infant heir's lands for all practical purposes as the lord's own, enjoying fully their use and whatever profits they yielded.