as in care
responsibility for the safety and well-being of someone or something
the government department having custody of all official state gifts
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of custody
Rigo Mendoza-Lopez, whose son died of cancer while his wife was in ICE custody.
—
Mike Hellgren, CBS News, 10 Feb. 2026
He was hospitalized in stable condition and in police custody.
—Matt Lavietes, NBC news, 10 Feb. 2026
The death marked the second in-custody death reported this year at the Main Jail.
—Daniel Hunt, Sacbee.com, 10 Feb. 2026
Little is known of Souders’ father, Robert, but in 1903 Leuvenia sued for divorce and obtained custody of their child.
—Elijah Winkler, Kansas City Star, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for custody
Mike Hellgren, CBS News, 10 Feb. 2026
He was hospitalized in stable condition and in police custody.
—Matt Lavietes, NBC news, 10 Feb. 2026
The death marked the second in-custody death reported this year at the Main Jail.
—Daniel Hunt, Sacbee.com, 10 Feb. 2026
Little is known of Souders’ father, Robert, but in 1903 Leuvenia sued for divorce and obtained custody of their child.
—Elijah Winkler, Kansas City Star, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for custody
Recent Examples of Synonyms for custody
Noun
-
Child-care fraud in Minnesota is one of many examples, and Minnesota is only one of many states with lax control of welfare spending.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
17 Feb. 2026
-
The survey, which takes about one to two minutes to complete, invites parents and primary caregivers to share their experiences with child care, pediatric and mental health access, cost of living, long commutes and other everyday challenges.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
16 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The guardianship case is still open, court officials confirmed to the Herald.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
15 Feb. 2026
-
Often, the abductor is a parent who doesn't have legal guardianship over a child, the report said.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Regular audits, transparent reporting and strong custodianship build long-term investor confidence.—
Charles Morey,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Engineers tracked stability and control across each phase.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Feb. 2026
-
As Farthing was assisting in traffic control, a man approached him from behind and stabbed him in the back, sheriff's office spokesperson Kim Peters said in a news release.—
Matthew Cupelli,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Unlike stocks or bonds that exist primarily as assets in a brokerage account, buying and owning physical gold requires real-world decisions about storage, security and safekeeping.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
14 Jan. 2026
-
The cow was eventually secured and returned to a neighbor’s property for safekeeping, ensuring a smooth reunion once the owners were reached.—
Moná Thomas,
PEOPLE,
6 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Custody.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/custody. Accessed 18 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
