custodian
Americannoun
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a person who has custody; keeper; guardian.
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a person entrusted with guarding or maintaining a property; janitor.
noun
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a person who has custody, as of a prisoner, ward, etc
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a guardian or keeper, as of an art collection, etc
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of custodian
1775–85; < Latin custōdi ( a ) watchman ( see custody) + -an
Compare meaning
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Explanation
You may know the custodian at your school — the person who's in charge of taking care of the building, in keeping it clean, making sure the heat works, and the roof doesn't leak. The word custodian comes from Latin custos, meaning "guardian," and anyone who looks after something can be a custodian. You might be the custodian of your club's records — you take care of the files and keep them up to date. Or you could be the custodian of the crown jewels — you hold the keys to the treasury and it's your job to make sure the jewels don't get lost or stolen.
Vocabulary lists containing custodian
Frindle
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Unit 1: Ecological Systems
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Awkward
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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.
A third-party custodian holds the underlying common stock.
From Barron's • May 15, 2026
When Turner acquired MGM’s library, along with Warner Bros.’ pre-1948 titles, he also became a custodian of American cinematic history, whether he intended to or not.
From Salon • May 8, 2026
They are often lumped together as "missing scientists", but the list includes an administrative assistant, an Air Force general, an engineer and a custodian, and spans several fields, from researching exoplanets to pharmaceuticals.
From BBC • Apr. 23, 2026
“That is his worry,” said Haley May, 28, another custodian of the singer’s fanpage.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 22, 2026
Jongintaba, he argued, would not only be a fine custodian of the crown but an excellent mentor to the young prince.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
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.
