ward
word
Definition
A ward is a section of a hospital where patients stay and receive care. It can also mean a person, especially a child, who is legally under the care and protection of another person or the state.
Usage & Nuances
Most commonly, 'ward' means a hospital area: 'children's ward', 'maternity ward', 'intensive care ward'. The legal meaning is more formal and less common in everyday speech. In some varieties of English, 'ward' can also mean an electoral or administrative district, but that is a separate context.
Example Sentences
They moved him to a different ward after the surgery.
natural
My grandmother is in the ward on the third floor.
basic
The nurse works in the children's ward.
basic
After his parents died, he became his aunt's ward.
basic
The whole ward was quiet by midnight.
natural
The lawyer was appointed to act on behalf of the young ward.
natural