steward
Americannoun
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a person who manages another's property or financial affairs; one who administers anything as the agent of another or others.
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a person who has charge of the household of another, buying or obtaining food, directing the servants, etc.
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an employee who has charge of the table, wine, servants, etc., in a club, restaurant, or the like.
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a person who attends to the domestic concerns of persons on board a vessel, as in overseeing maids and waiters.
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an employee on a ship, train, or bus who waits on and is responsible for the comfort of passengers, takes orders for or distributes food, etc.
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a flight attendant.
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a person appointed by an organization or group to supervise the affairs of that group at certain functions.
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U.S. Navy. a petty officer in charge of officer's quarters and mess.
verb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
noun
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a person who administers the property, house, finances, etc, of another
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a person who manages the eating arrangements, staff, or service at a club, hotel, etc
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a person who attends to passengers on an aircraft, ship or train
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a mess attendant in a naval mess afloat or ashore
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a person who helps to supervise some event or proceedings in an official capacity
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short for shop steward
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have stewardedperfect
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has stewardedperfect 3rd person singular
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am stewardingprogressive 1st person singular
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are stewardingprogressive
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has been stewardingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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is stewardingprogressive 3rd person singular
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have been stewardingperfect progressive
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stewardingparticiple
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stewardssingular 3rd person
Past
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had stewardedperfect
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had been stewardingperfect progressive
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stewardedparticiple
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were stewardingprogressive plural
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was stewardingprogressive singular
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stewardedsimple
Future
Etymology
Origin of steward
before 900; Middle English; Old English stīweard, stigweard, equivalent to stig- (sense uncertain; probably “house, hall”; see sty 1) + weard ward ( def. )
Explanation
A steward is someone who takes care of the grounds or animals of a particular place. If your parents are always traveling and you have to take care of your six younger siblings, you probably feel like the steward of the house. You might have heard the term "stewardess," a female flight attendant, but the name has trickled out of use in favor of the gender-neutral "flight attendant." A steward is the male version of that. Anyone who takes care of places or people is a steward. You can be a steward of artifacts from an architectural dig. You can also be elected to be the steward of your co-workers retirement fund. Either way, someone's trusting you with their stuff.
Vocabulary lists containing steward
This Week in Words: October 28 - November 3, 2017
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"Why Exploring the Ocean Is Mankind's Next Giant Leap," Vocabulary from the commentary
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Theodore Roosevelt on "New Nationalism" (1910)
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Public opposition to healthcare buyouts has grown in recent years, spurred in particular by the disruptive bankruptcies of hospital operators Steward Health Care System and Prospect Medical Holdings in 2024 and 2025, respectively.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 14, 2026
"We are seeing a galaxy transforming in live action," said Himansh Rathore, a graduate student at Steward Observatory and the lead author of the paper.
From Science Daily • Mar. 20, 2026
“If we reach 110 in Palm Springs later this week, we’ll break this record by several weeks,” Steward said.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 18, 2026
Henry Pollock and Freddie Steward were yellow-carded in the defeat by Ireland.
From BBC • Mar. 7, 2026
The Stinky Steward rose and fell as waves smashed against her hull.
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
