Protege and protegee, originating from French, are a masculine/feminine pair with the same meaning.
A protege (male) or protegee (female) is a person who is trained, protected, supported, or promoted by another person of talent, fame, power, or influence:
Bruce Lee was the protege of the great martial arts master Yip Man.
A protegee is often given opportunities and guidance so that they can grow and develop within a certain art or industry, often while being given financial support.
More Examples of How to Use “Protege” and “Protegee” in a Sentence
- A protege should be someone who is eager to grow and develop their skills.
- Rita learned the hard way that it is important to choose a protegee who is coachable and open to feedback.
- At just 25 years old, Sandra is already being hailed as a star protegee of the fashion industry.
- Mark was a terrible protege in his youth, but now that he’s older, he’s become a widely admired mentor in his industry, sharing his knowledge freely and kindly whenever he can.
- My company treats its interns like proteges—probably to distract them from the fact that they are working for free!