caretaker

noun

care·​tak·​er ˈker-ˌtā-kər 

1

: one that gives physical or emotional care and support

served as caretaker to the younger children

2

: one that takes care of the house or land of an owner who may be absent

3

: one temporarily fulfilling the function of office

a caretaker government

caretake

ˈker-ˌtāk 

verb

caretaking

ˈker-ˌtā-kiŋ 

noun

Synonyms of caretaker

• custodian
• keeper
• janitor
• warden
• guardian

Examples of caretaker in a Sentence

We have a caretaker who watches the place for us while we are away.

hired a caretaker for the mansion during the winter months

Recent Examples on the Web

Separate from the plaza is a four-bedroom ranch or caretaker’s house, set apart from the compound’s main gathering zones. — David Caraccio, Sacbee.com, 6 July 2026

The congregation started to arrive at the usual time, about half an hour before Mass on a recent Saturday afternoon, the old church slowly filling with the descendants and caretakers of a place of great serenity but also great loss. — Andrew Carter, Chicago Tribune, 5 July 2026

Jack Nicholson plays the new caretaker of a remote Colorado hotel in the offseason, bringing his family and hoping to overcome writer's block. — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 1 July 2026

The platform is usually occupied only by a caretaker guard, with Michael Bates preferring to live on the mainland. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1801, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for caretaker

• automaker
• boilermaker
• cabinetmaker
• coffeemaker
• troublemaker
• undertaker
• blackacre
• clockmaker
• dressmaker
• filmmaker
• homemaker
• icebreaker

Kids Definition

caretaker

noun

care·​tak·​er ˈke(ə)r-ˌtā-kər 

ˈka(ə)r-

: one that takes care of buildings or land often for an absent owner