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

The documents also detail the scale of the personnel required to build and manage the temporary lock-up, from janitors to laundry workers to cooks, translators to legal case managers to IT staff. —Kate Payne, Sun Sentinel, 2 Mar. 2026

The audience was previously told that that problem was meant to be incredibly difficult, taking years of expert thinking to resolve, yet it was quickly worked out by Damon’s insightful janitor in just moments. —Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 1 Mar. 2026

Is the janitor returning to 'Scrubs'? —Haadiza Ogwude, Cincinnati Enquirer, 25 Feb. 2026

Walker worked as a janitor at Buffalo’s Roswell Park Cancer Institute, waxing and shining the floors. —Jennifer Gonnerman, New Yorker, 25 Feb. 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