stewardship

American  

[stoo-erd-ship, styoo-] / ˈstu ərd ʃɪp, ˈstyu- /

noun

1. the position and duties of a steward, a person who acts as the surrogate of another or others, especially by managing property, financial affairs, an estate, etc.

2. the responsible overseeing and protection of something considered worth caring for and preserving.

   New regulatory changes will result in better stewardship of lands that are crucial for open space and wildlife habitat.

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Other Word Forms

• understewardship noun

Etymology

Origin of stewardship

First recorded in 1450–1500; steward + -ship

Explanation

Stewardship means the management or care of something, particularly the kind that works. If your company is making money, there’s probably been careful stewardship — or, a lot of luck. The sphere or responsibility of a steward (as in a manager or administrator), stewardship is often used to mean "the care, handling and management of resources." Your school requires stewardship to make sure its supplies aren’t stretched. Your clean water may be thanks to the stewardship of an environmental office. Though there is a steward on a ship to handle food and supplies, the ship in stewardship is not a seagoing vessel; it's just a suffix.

Example Sentences

This perspective aligns with growing global efforts to restore ecosystems, support Indigenous stewardship, and use technology to strengthen connections between people and nature.

From Science Daily • Apr. 19, 2026

In the race for leadership of the city, even Mayor Karen Bass and Councilmember Nithya Raman say things have got to change, which isn’t necessarily the best commentary on their stewardship.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 18, 2026

Then Pegula made perhaps the single most impactful decision in his 15-year stewardship of the Sabres.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026

Listed in Hong Kong in 2009, Evergrande surged to a peak market value of more than $50 billion under the stewardship of founder Xu.

From Barron's • Apr. 14, 2026

Then Denethor leaped upon the table, and standing there wreathed in fire and smoke he took up the staff of his stewardship that lay at his feet and broke it on his knee.

From "The Return of the King" by J.R.R. Tolkien

Related Words

• administration
• care
• control
• governance
• government
• handling
• operation
• oversight
• supervision