caretaker

American  

[kair-tey-ker] / ˈkɛərˌteɪ kər /

noun

• caretakers
  plural

1. a person who is in charge of the maintenance of a building, estate, etc.; superintendent.

2. a person or group that temporarily performs the duties of an office.

3. British. a janitor.

4. a person who takes care of another.

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adjective

1. involving the temporary performance of the duties of an office.

   a caretaker government.

caretaker British  

/ ˈkɛəˌteɪkə /

noun

1. a person who is in charge of a place or thing, esp in the owner's absence

   the caretaker of a school

2. (modifier) holding office temporarily; interim

   a caretaker government

3. social welfare a person who takes care of a vulnerable person, often a close relative See also carer

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• caretaking
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• caretakers
  plural

Etymology

Origin of caretaker

First recorded in 1855–60; care + take ( def. ) + -er ¹ ( def. )

Explanation

When you work as a caretaker, you look after a house or a piece of property. The caretaker of a grand old estate might live in a small cottage on its grounds. A caretaker might make small repairs to a house, weed a property's flower gardens, or mow the lawn. Some caretakers live in the house they care for, often during an off season when its main inhabitants don't stay there. You can also use the word to mean "caregiver," a person who takes care of someone who's elderly or ill, or to refer to someone who looks after animals.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

caretaker caretakers

As long as no new government is sworn into office, the departing CDU state premier would continue to govern in a caretaker capacity.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 7, 2026

Is it enough to make United serious contenders after Michael Carrick took them to third place and back into the Champions League last season after succeeding Ruben Amorim in a caretaker capacity?

From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026

Some communities have strong cultural traditions dictating who should fill the caretaker role — in many cases, that’s the eldest daughter.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026

He was survived by his wife and stepdaughter, and was the primary caretaker for his elderly parents at the time of his death, department officials said last year.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 29, 2026

The caretaker, cutting dry weeds a hundred yards away, heard a whining carried on the wind.

From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck

Schwartz and Vitale, for instance, are hoping to finalize a study soon that looks at how cats may greet their caretakers — or express a form of sadness or confusion when they leave.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026

Barring caretakers, Derek McInnes had already made the worst start of any Rangers manager after three games - now it has stretched to four.

From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026

This sophisticated network is what can get the goods you order to your doorstop in hours, and it provides flexibility for workers who have irregular schedules such as college students and home caretakers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026

They become caretakers and give up work early, losing years of potential income.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026

I knew at a glance he wasn’t like the other caretakers.

From "The Old Willis Place" by Mary Downing Hahn

Related Words

• curator
• custodian
• janitor
• keeper
• sitter
• superintendent
• supervisor
• warden