The word 家长 is formed by combining two characters: 家, meaning "family" or "home", and 长, meaning "chief", "elder", or "head". Conceptually, it directly merges the idea of the "family unit" with the notion of "leadership" or "seniority" within it, creating a single term that identifies the person who holds the primary authority, responsibility, and protective role for the household, most commonly understood as a child's parent or guardian.