janitor

noun

jan·​i·​tor ˈja-nə-tər How to pronounce janitor (audio)
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

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In Season 1, Gillory was a janitor at the LAPD but become a full-time consultant after solving a murder case and impressing everyone with her IQ of 160. Jordan Moreau, Variety, 13 Oct. 2025 Low-wage service workers, including cleaners, janitors, security guards, cafeteria workers and other staffers who keep buildings operating, are often out of luck. Matt Egan, CNN Money, 7 Oct. 2025 The great quarterbacks are janitors for organizational messes, smoothing over the cracks and making a bad team look competent for three hours. Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 29 Sep. 2025 The singing janitor from Indiana earned both the $1 million prize, a Golden Buzzer from judge Heidi Klum and the chance to perform with Journey during the season finale. Skyler Caruso, PEOPLE, 25 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for janitor

Word History

Etymology

Latin, from janus arch, gate

First Known Use

1629, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of janitor was in 1629

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Janitor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/janitor. Accessed 22 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

janitor

noun
jan·​i·​tor ˈjan-ət-ər How to pronounce janitor (audio)
1
2
: a person who has the care of a building
janitorial adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on janitor

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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