stewardship
noun
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Good Stewardship
When stewardship first appeared in English during the Middle Ages, it functioned as a job description, denoting the office of a steward, or manager of a large household. Over the centuries, its range of reference spread to the oversight of law courts, employee unions, college dining halls, Masonic lodges, and many other organizations. In recent years, the long-established "management" sense of stewardship has evolved a positive meaning, “careful and responsible management.” This sense is commonly found nowadays in contexts such as “stewardship of the environment, the family business,” etc. It also occasionally appears as an adjective in phrases such as “stewardship fundraising" (that is, fundraising aimed at building good relationships with donors in order to keep them loyal).
Examples of stewardship in a Sentence
David Weiss, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025
Gorman, however, said she is not swayed by claims of environmental stewardship, pointing to the irony of altering Mars’ atmosphere to better suit humans.
—Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 12 Sep. 2025
Throughout this transition, CPB’s Board and management remain committed to our stewardship mission.
—Michael Schneider, Variety, 12 Sep. 2025
At the Hōshi Ryokan, the daily rituals of preparing baths or meals resemble a kind of stewardship — something that has kept the inn alive for more than 1,300 years.
—Big Think, 11 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stewardship
Cite this Entry
“Stewardship.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stewardship. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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stewardship
noun
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