caretaker

American  

[kair-tay-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

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Etymology

Origin of caretaker

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

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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 they sought revenge, the Scots, under caretaker head coach Dave Butcher, lost Sarah Bonar to illness shortly before kick-off and the Harlequins lock was replaced with Bristol Bears' Hollie Cunningham.

From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026

Seven years apart, United did the same thing twice hoping for different results - appointing a club legend who last managed in Britain in the Championship after a good start as caretaker boss.

From BBC ● Sep. 20, 2026

And yet the key to understanding a cat’s meow will often rest specifically with that cat’s caretaker.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026

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

But first, Mom had to find a caretaker in Belize who could move into the house with Grandpa Silas to take care of him while Grandma was away.

From "Courage to Soar" by Simone Biles

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

No caretakers and no urn—just a statute of the god, the flowers and the street.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 6, 2026

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

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 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

Your grandfather and I are the caretakers of this estate.

From "Fablehaven" by Brandon Mull

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Related Words

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

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