Meanings
plural protégés · alternative protege
- A person who is guided and supported by an older and more experienced person (a protector or mentor).
His status as a protégé of the great artist had many benefits, but was ultimately a burden.
1 more example
While Yau was in China, he visited Xi-Ping Zhu, a protégé of his who was now chairman of the mathematics department at Sun Yat-sen University.
2006 August 28, Sylvia Nasar, David Gruber, “Manifold Destiny”, in The New YorkerSynonyms: apprentice, mentee, pupil
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA person who is guided and supported by an older and more experienced person (a protector or mentor).
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*per-der.?
- Proto-Indo-European*pér
- Proto-Indo-European*pró
- Proto-Indo-European*pro-
- Proto-Italic*pro-
- Latinpro-
- Proto-Indo-European*(s)teg-
- Proto-Indo-European*(s)tégeti
- Proto-Italic*tegō
- Latintegō
- Latinprōtegere
- Frenchprotéger
- Frenchprotégé
- Englishprotégé
Borrowed from French protégé, past participle of protéger (“to protect”).
More words from French
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic ربيب, مَحْمِيّ
- ربيب (rabīb)person who is guided and supported
- مَحْمِيّ (maḥmiyy)person who is guided and supported
Chinese Mandarin 門徒 /门徒
- 門徒 /门徒 (méntú)person who is guided and supported
Danish protegé
- protegéperson who is guided and supported
Dutch protegé, beschermeling
- protegéperson who is guided and supported
- beschermelingperson who is guided and supported
Finnish suojatti
- suojattiperson who is guided and supported
French protégé, protégée
- protégéperson who is guided and supported
- protégéeperson who is guided and supported
German Günstling, Protegé
- Günstlingperson who is guided and supported
- Protegéperson who is guided and supported
- Mündelperson who is guided and supported
- Schützlingperson who is guided and supported
Greek προστατευόμενος, προστατευομένη
- προστατευόμενος (prostatevómenos)person who is guided and supported
- προστατευομένη (prostatevoméni)person who is guided and supported
Hawaiian luhi
- luhiperson who is guided and supported
Hungarian védenc, pártfogolt
- védencperson who is guided and supported
- pártfogoltperson who is guided and supported
Japanese 子飼い, プロテジェ
- 子飼い (kogai)person who is guided and supported
- プロテジェ (puroteje)person who is guided and supported
- 門徒 (monto)person who is guided and supported
- メンティー (mentī)person who is guided and supported
Māori paruhi, poipoinga
- paruhiperson who is guided and supported
- poipoingaperson who is guided and supported
Persian شاگرد
- شاگرد (shãgerd)person who is guided and supported
Polish protegowany, protegowana
- protegowanyperson who is guided and supported
- protegowanaperson who is guided and supported
Portuguese pupilo
- pupiloperson who is guided and supported
Russian протеже́
- протеже́ (protɛžé)person who is guided and supported
Swedish protegé, skyddsling
- protegéperson who is guided and supported
- skyddslingperson who is guided and supported
Tagalog tagapagtanod
- tagapagtanodperson who is guided and supported
Turkish çırak
- çırakperson who is guided and supported
Ukrainian протеже́
- протеже́ (protežé)person who is guided and supported
Cite this entry
protégé. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/prot%C3%A9g%C3%A9
“protégé.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/prot%C3%A9g%C3%A9. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “protégé,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/prot%C3%A9g%C3%A9.
Source: protégé on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.