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

In her absence, Shadow is the sole caretaker of their two eaglets, Luna and Sandy, meaning he has to bring them meals and defend the nest from potential intruders.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026

A woman wrote to the caretaker of a collapsed apartment building in Caraballeda, one of the worst-hit areas, about 40 kilometers from Caracas, to say she was still alive, volunteer rescuer Daniel Pino told AFP.

From Barron's ● Jun. 29, 2026

If a child isn’t acting exactly how a parent or caretaker would prefer at any moment, is that the barrier where our love for them ceases, even momentarily?

From Salon ● Jun. 28, 2026

Bellamy was assistant to Vincent Kompany at Burnley between 2022 and 2024 and had a brief spell as caretaker boss.

From BBC ● Jun. 26, 2026

I remember that when I was four, a woman in the building was taken on as my caretaker during the days when Mama worked.

From "Bad Boy" by Walter Dean Myers

At this new Mommy and Me tennis class, caretakers aren’t just dropping off their kids — they are dropping into the game and staging their own personal comeback stories.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026

Under BlueCo's leadership, Chelsea have won two major honours - the Conference League and Club World Cup - and have now reached three finals under eight managers, including caretakers and interims.

From BBC ● Apr. 26, 2026

Because of outstanding leases, third-party caretakers were getting one final season to manage 3,500-odd acres, “through 2026,” added Kiernan, in the announcement.

From Slate ● Apr. 20, 2026

For years, scientists believed astrocytes mainly acted as caretakers, helping hold neurons together and keeping brain circuits running smoothly.

From Science Daily ● Apr. 4, 2026

And then Mr. Wagner, one of the caretakers from the school, comes and chases them away.

From "Flowers for Algernon" by Daniel Keyes

Related Words

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