majordomo

noun

ma·​jor·​do·​mo ˌmā-jər-ˈdō-(ˌ)mō 

plural majordomos

1

: a head steward of a large household (such as a palace)

2

: butler, steward

3

: a person who speaks, makes arrangements, or takes charge for another

broadly : the person who runs an enterprise

The … fair may be chiefly remembered because … the banker who strutted around as its majordomo was sentenced to prison …

—E. J. Kahn, Jr.

Did you know?

Majordomo has relatives in Spanish (mayordomo) and Italian (the now obsolete maiordomo), and English speakers borrowed the term from one of these languages. All three words—majordomo, mayordomo, and maiordomo—ultimately come from the Medieval Latin major domus, meaning "chief of the house." In its earliest uses, majordomo referred to the head steward of a royal household. The position was a high one with some relatively weighty responsibilities. Later, in the U.S., the word was used for the steward or overseer of a ranch. Since then, the word's meaning has extended even further; today, majordomo can designate any person who takes charge of another's affairs, be they business or personal.

Examples of majordomo in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

There was no majordomo or maid or gardener or cook, no conditioning coach or groomer or therapist or secretary. —Joy Williams, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025

Guests rent out the full estate, which includes a dedicated majordomo, private chef, and housekeepers. —Rebecca Ann Hughes, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2025

Fresh off his San Vicente Bungalows run, Dimitri Dimitrov was back on hand as Tower Bar’s majordomo. —Chris Gardner, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Sep. 2024

Alfred Molina, Ving Rhames, Toby Jones, and Paul Walter Hauser all drop by to add their touches to an underworld majordomo, a dogged BPD Special Ops officer, a political toady and Boston’s single dumbest thug, respectively. —David Fear, Rolling Stone, 1 Aug. 2024

The majordomo returned and handed Boba a large bag. —Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 22 Aug. 2023

Jade Mountain offers a package to hike with your majordomo from the resort who will ensure your safety and comfort throughout the hike. —James Barrett, Men's Health, 6 Apr. 2023

His devotees range from music superstars including Rihanna and A$AP Rocky to the art world majordomo Sterling Ruby. —Vogue Runway, Vogue, 22 Nov. 2022

The revered majordomo died of a heart ailment in 1996 at age 82, at the Getty residence. —James Reginato, Town & Country, 5 July 2022

Word History

Etymology

Spanish mayordomo or obsolete Italian maiordomo, from Medieval Latin major domus, literally, chief of the house

First Known Use

1589, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for majordomo

• bromo
• chromo
• duomo
• homo
• oromo

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Kids Definition

majordomo

noun

ma·​jor·​do·​mo ˌmā-jər-ˈdō-mō 

plural majordomos

: a person in charge of a great and especially of a royal household