Minders

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A person designated to oversee the actions of others ; Mechanisms created to prompt memory about specific tasks or appointments ; Individuals assigned the duty of ensuring adherence to guidelines or standards in a given environment
2. Individuals responsible for monitoring someone's behavior or progress
3. Persons who carefully watch and oversee others' activities ; objects or systems designed to aid memory for tasks or events

Etymology: "Minders" is the plural of "minder," a noun that in Middle English appeared as "mynder" or "mendowre," meaning someone with a good memory, someone who keeps something in mind, or a keeper who watches over others. The earlier sense of remembering and the later sense of guarding were both present from the start, which is why the word can describe either a mental capacity or a person standing guard over someone. The word is built from "mind" plus the agent suffix "-er," so a minder is literally one who minds. "Mind" itself carries the senses of memory and attention alongside care and protection, and those senses are what the noun inherited. Its modern use for a bodyguard or a child-care attendant grows directly out of the older idea of watching over.

Synonyms: guardians, overseers, supervisors