janitor

noun

jan·​i·​tor ˈja-nə-tər 

1

: one who keeps the premises of a building (such as an apartment or office) clean, tends the heating system, and makes minor repairs

2

: doorkeeper

Synonyms of janitor

• custodian
• keeper
• warden
• caretaker

Examples of janitor in a Sentence

got a job as the night janitor at the elementary school

according to popular Christian tradition, St. Peter acts as janitor at heaven's pearly gates

Recent Examples on the Web

Sasha Valera is a May-October love story between two of the institute’s janitors. — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2026

That year, Klum went out with a bang, winning the competition with her Golden Buzzer act, singing janitor Richard Goodall. — Joelle Goldstein, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026

The 1,000-student liberal arts school — which boasts a statue of US President James Garfield, who worked as a janitor there to pay his tuition — eventually pulled more than $47 million from the fund. — Bloomberg, Fortune, 31 Aug. 2026

California is set to launch such a database by next summer for school support staff, such as bus drivers and janitors, with substantiated claims of egregious misconduct. — Holly McDede, ProPublica, 31 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Latin, from janus arch, gate

First Known Use

1629, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Kids Definition

janitor

noun

jan·​i·​tor ˈjan-ət-ər 

1

: doorkeeper

2

: a person who has the care of a building

janitorial

ˌjan-ə-ˈtōr-ē-əl 

-ˈtȯr-

adjective