warden

noun

war·​den ˈwȯr-dᵊn How to pronounce warden (audio)
1
: one having care or charge of something : guardian, keeper
2
b
: the governor of a town, district, or fortress
c
: a member of the governing body of a guild
3
a
: an official charged with special supervisory duties or with the enforcement of specified laws or regulations
game warden
air raid warden
b
: an official in charge of the operation of a prison
c
: any of various British officials having designated administrative functions
warden of the mint
4
a
: one of two ranking lay officers of an Episcopal parish
b
: any of various British college officials whose duties range from the administration of academic matters to the supervision of student discipline

Example Sentences

the warden of the cemetery in his role as warden of the school, a principal must provide a safe environment for the students
Recent Examples on the Web In the highest profile of those cases, the former warden at Smith State Prison, Brian Adams, faces state racketeering charges for allegedly accepting cash payments as part of a contraband smuggling scheme. Jennifer Peebles, ajc, 2 Mar. 2023 Sergei, sat, shoulders slumped, on the sofa in the warden’s office of the Ukrainian detention center. Andrew E. Kramer, New York Times, 13 Feb. 2023 Once identified, the prisoner’s case manager and the warden of the institution must sign off with their input primarily focused on the person’s ability to successfully and safely integrate into the community. Walter Pavlo, Forbes, 24 Jan. 2023 The warden of a West Texas federal jail for immigrants has been fired after he and a brother allegedly shot at migrants walking along a roadside in Hudspeth County on Sept. 27, killing one and wounding another. Guillermo Contreras, San Antonio Express-News, 29 Sep. 2022 In the early ’90s, with the corrections department facing overcrowded prisons, the head of the parole board and the warden of the state prison both publicly lobbied for it. Seyward Darby, Longreads, 16 June 2022 Sparks said he’s tried for the last few weeks to get through to the warden, without success. Grace Toohey, orlandosentinel.com, 23 Oct. 2020 In that case, two Texas brothers — including one who had been a warden at a detention center that has housed immigrants — were arrested and charged with manslaughter. Daniel Borunda, USA TODAY, 6 Oct. 2022 All Stars last year) is starring as prison warden Mama Morton in Chicago. Vulture, 20 Jan. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'warden.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English wardein, from Anglo-French wardein, gardein, from warder to guard

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of warden was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near warden

Cite this Entry

“Warden.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/warden. Accessed 31 Mar. 2023.

Kids Definition

warden

noun
war·​den ˈwȯrd-ᵊn How to pronounce warden (audio)
1
: one who has charge or care of something : guardian, keeper
2
: the governor of a town, district, or fortress
3
: an official charged with special duties or with the enforcement of specified laws or regulations
game warden
air-raid warden
4
: an official in charge of a prison
5
a
: a lay officer of an Episcopal parish
b
: any of various British college officials

Legal Definition

warden

noun
war·​den
1
: an official charged with special supervisory duties or with the enforcement of specified laws or regulations
a game warden
2
: an official in charge of the operation of a prison
Etymology

Anglo-French wardein gardein guardian, from warder garder to guard, protect

More from Merriam-Webster on warden

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