warden

noun

war·​den ˈwȯr-dᵊn 

1

: one having care or charge of something : guardian, keeper

2

a

: regent sense 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

Synonyms

• custodian
• guard
• guardian
• keeper
• lookout
• minder
• picket
• sentinel
• sentry
• warder
• watch
• watcher
• watchman

Examples of warden in a Sentence

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

With hitmen for hire, prison riots, a multimillion-dollar contraband circle, and a warden that has been charged with corruption, the episodes illuminate many of the complex problems that plague our criminal justice system. —Tyler Coates, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Apr. 2024

The prison's former warden, Ray Garcia, was sentenced to six years in prison in March 2023. —USA TODAY, 17 Apr. 2024

As a watchdog and warden of competition in business, the agency tries to protect consumers from the outsized power of corporations. —David Morgan, CBS News, 12 Apr. 2024

The mountain lion was later found by wardens from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the El Dorado County trapper, according to Parker. —Raja Razek, CNN, 24 Mar. 2024

On Monday, Nancy T. McKinney, a top regional Bureau of Prisons supervisor, was appointed interim warden of Dublin. —Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2024

In one of those court cases, the state's appeals court sided with a former warden who said he was improperly fired, reinstating his job after more than five years, and granting him back pay, which could add up to $300,000. —Laura Schulte, Journal Sentinel, 8 Apr. 2024

Earlier this month, the Federal Bureau of Investigation raided the facility, prompting federal prisons officials to sack the facility’s warden after less than three months and install a new interim leader. —Jakob Rodgers, The Mercury News, 28 Mar. 2024

Prison officials acknowledged the drugs, which sit in the warden’s office, are in a liquid form, manufactured rather than made at a compounding pharmacy and already have been tested for quality, according to the court records. —Kevin Fixler, Idaho Statesman, 26 Mar. 2024

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

Phrases Containing warden

• dog warden
• game warden
• traffic warden

Kids Definition

warden

noun

war·​den ˈwȯrd-ᵊn 

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