A person who protects, guides, or looks after someone, often in a formal or supportive role.
He is known as a patron of young artists.
孤児になった子供には庇護者が必要だ。
An orphaned child needs a guardian.
Compound of 庇護 (ひご, 'protection, patronage') + 者 (しゃ, 'person'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the kanji 庇 means 'shelter' or 'protect', and 護 means 'defend' or 'guard'.