1
as in keepers
a person who takes care of a property sometimes for an absent owner
the custodian made his usual rounds of the building to make sure that everything was OK
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2
as in guardians
a person or group that watches over someone or something
served as custodian of the prisoner until he could be turned over to federal authorities
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3
as in defenders
someone that protects
we must regard ourselves as custodians of the Earth so that its natural resources may be enjoyed by many generations to come
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of custodians
Island custodians began restoring the vegetation in the 1960s—work that continues in the resort’s nursery.
—
Susan Casey, Travel + Leisure, 10 Jan. 2026
And fans end up getting to talk about their team like fans, not custodians of some dusty historical archive nobody wants to visit.
—Sean McIndoe, New York Times, 3 Jan. 2026
While some questions remain, city officials acknowledged that retailers needed to be held accountable and better custodians of their carts.
—Devan Patel, Mercury News, 24 Dec. 2025
But Teamsters Local 320—made up of custodians, groundskeepers, and food-service workers at the university—had chosen that moment to go on strike.
—Alex Abramovich, New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2025
Whereas a stablecoin always needs to be redeemable, and so by holding it in these very, very safe T bills, or cash with the big cash custodians of the world, or even holding money with the central bank itself.
—Fortune Editors, Fortune, 10 Dec. 2025
Approximately 800 members of 32BJ SEIU are employed as custodians at Harvard University, some of which are employed directly by the University with others by third-party contractors.
—Tim Dunn, Boston Herald, 7 Dec. 2025
But custodians are required to cite the specific statutory basis for any record withheld under an exemption.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 11 Nov. 2025
In January 2023, Netanyahu’s government introduced laws that would usurp the independence of Israel’s Supreme Court and attorney general—the custodians of civil liberties in a country that lacks a formal constitution.
—Aluf Benn, Foreign Affairs, 10 Nov. 2025
Susan Casey, Travel + Leisure, 10 Jan. 2026
And fans end up getting to talk about their team like fans, not custodians of some dusty historical archive nobody wants to visit.
—Sean McIndoe, New York Times, 3 Jan. 2026
While some questions remain, city officials acknowledged that retailers needed to be held accountable and better custodians of their carts.
—Devan Patel, Mercury News, 24 Dec. 2025
But Teamsters Local 320—made up of custodians, groundskeepers, and food-service workers at the university—had chosen that moment to go on strike.
—Alex Abramovich, New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2025
Whereas a stablecoin always needs to be redeemable, and so by holding it in these very, very safe T bills, or cash with the big cash custodians of the world, or even holding money with the central bank itself.
—Fortune Editors, Fortune, 10 Dec. 2025
Approximately 800 members of 32BJ SEIU are employed as custodians at Harvard University, some of which are employed directly by the University with others by third-party contractors.
—Tim Dunn, Boston Herald, 7 Dec. 2025
But custodians are required to cite the specific statutory basis for any record withheld under an exemption.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 11 Nov. 2025
In January 2023, Netanyahu’s government introduced laws that would usurp the independence of Israel’s Supreme Court and attorney general—the custodians of civil liberties in a country that lacks a formal constitution.
—Aluf Benn, Foreign Affairs, 10 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for custodians
Noun
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These keepers of all the knowledge and wisdom humans have gathered as parents are right in front of us—no smart phone required.—
Elisabeth Sherman,
Parents,
10 Dec. 2025
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Prosecutors called a series of record keepers whose brief testimony bolstered their claim that there is no evidence Ana Walshe left on her own from the family’s Massachusetts home after January 1, 2023, when she was last seen alive celebrating the New Year.—
Lauren del Valle,
CNN Money,
4 Dec. 2025
Noun
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The organization also wants to increase public awareness on the issue and guidance for parents and guardians navigating these cosmetic decisions with their teenagers — especially when there's so much uninformed information on social media.—
Skyler Caruso,
PEOPLE,
31 Dec. 2025
-
Both are guardians, both are thieves.—
Stuart Miller,
Oc Register,
22 Dec. 2025
Noun
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But Houston’s defenders aspire to carve out a place alongside some of the truly elite teams that have largely carried their teams to Super Bowl glory.—
Mike Jones,
New York Times,
13 Jan. 2026
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Baylor transfer Brendan Bett stepped in to produce (40 tackles, three sacks), while the emergence of true freshman Jeremiah McCloud (13 tackles) and Joseph Mbatchou (11) offer the Gators interior defenders to build around.—
Edgar Thompson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
13 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Eight Democratic candidates appeared at a forum sponsored by SEIU United Service Workers West, which represents more than 45,000 janitors, security officers, airport service employees and other workers in California.—
Seema Mehta,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Jan. 2026
-
Its member organizations include SEIU Healthcare and Locals 1 and 73, representing workers across various industries, including janitors, child care workers, and private security officers and doormen.—
A.D. Quig,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Sports Equipment While the dishwasher isn't ideal for cleaning baseball caps, uniforms, or equipment heavily-coated with mud, a trip through a dishwasher cycle is ideal to remove bacteria and odors from mouth guards and hard plastic shin guards.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
The Spruce,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Texas guards contributed as well.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
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There's an opportunity to turn a quick profit Gold and silver, traditionally, have been considered income protectors versus income producers.—
Matt Richardson,
CBS News,
7 Jan. 2026
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Since floors like vinyl are prone to scratching, Stein always recommends adding furniture protectors to the bottom of your furniture.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
23 Dec. 2025
Noun
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Each one grew up in a home that required her to curry favor with volatile and inconstant parents—a menacing father figure, a recessive and enabling mother—and each found a fragile safety in her caretakers’ occasional good will.—
Katy Waldman,
New Yorker,
12 Jan. 2026
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This week, his caretakers were sentenced to prison for his death.—
Logan Smith,
CBS News,
10 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Since at least last Wednesday, wardens have been searching the Jefferson Hills area for a deer with a jug on its head.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
25 Nov. 2025
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Forest wardens walk into Kyebi Forest Reserve in the East Akim Municipal district in Ghana.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
30 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Custodians.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/custodians. Accessed 17 Jan. 2026.
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