caretaker
Americannoun
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a person who is in charge of the maintenance of a building, estate, etc.; superintendent.
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a person or group that temporarily performs the duties of an office.
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British. a janitor.
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a person who takes care of another.
adjective
noun
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a person who is in charge of a place or thing, esp in the owner's absence
the caretaker of a school
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(modifier) holding office temporarily; interim
a caretaker government
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social welfare a person who takes care of a vulnerable person, often a close relative See also carer
Other Word Forms
- caretaking noun
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.
Vocabulary lists containing caretaker
The Circuit
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The Shining
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A Boy Called Bat
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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.
Polls show most Peruvians back Velarde, who is seen as a steady caretaker in a country with deep resentment of politicians.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026
“There’s another one over there that’s even more crowded than this,” a campus caretaker said, pointing to an adjacent lot a few hundred yards away.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 12, 2026
Being a child or caretaker, or holding power of attorney, does not make it ethical or lawful to transfer property into one’s own name.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 30, 2026
Sushila Karki, 73, a former chief justice who had led the caretaker administration for six months, said the country's future lay in the hands of a younger generation.
From Barron's • Mar. 27, 2026
It’s very easy to fall in love with a baby skunk, but it’s difficult to truly be a good caretaker to a skunk.
From "A Boy Called Bat" by Elana K. Arnold
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.
