Opiekun

Opiekun is a Polish noun meaning guardian, caretaker, or supervisor. It refers to a person who bears responsibility for the safety, welfare, and development of someone or something, such as a child, a dependent person, or an object under protection. The basic masculine form is opiekun; the feminine form is opiekunka, and the plural is opiekunowie.

In law, the term is used in phrases such as opiekun prawny, a guardian appointed by a court to represent and care for a minor or for a legally incapacitated person. The opiekun prawny has duties including safeguarding rights, managing affairs when needed, and ensuring welfare and education. There can also be a temporary guardian (opiekun tymczasowy) or a curator (kurator) who handles property or specific aspects of a protected person’s affairs. Outside formal settings, opiekun describes a caregiver in contexts like schools, foster care, hospitals, or social services.

In everyday usage, an opiekun can be a parent, relative, or a professional caregiver who monitors daily needs, health, safety, and emotional well-being, and who communicates with institutions and other family members on behalf of the dependent. The term is also extended in phrases such as opiekun duchowy (spiritual guardian), reflecting broader senses of protection and guidance.

Etymologically, opiekun derives from the Polish root opieka meaning care, with the agent-noun suffix -un that forms words describing a person who performs an action. Related concepts and terms exist in other Slavic languages with similar meanings.