janitor

noun

ˈja-nə-tər How to pronounce janitor (audio)
Definition of janitornext
1
as in custodian
a person who takes care of a property sometimes for an absent owner got a job as the night janitor at the elementary school

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in porter
a person who tends a door according to popular Christian tradition, St. Peter acts as janitor at heaven's pearly gates

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 janitor Scott and Dylan walked away from faculty members and the video production crew and and Scott allegedly assaulted her in a janitor’s closet. — Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026 The titular gang comprises Mac (McElhenney), a closeted wannabe tough guy; the narcissistic prepster Dennis (Glenn Howerton); Dennis’s chronically unsure fraternal twin, Dee (Kaitlin Olson); and the bar’s buffoonish janitor, Charlie (Charlie Day). — Paula Mejía, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026 The janitor then told nurses of the discovery, and police were notified as required by law. — Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 2 Aug. 2026 Timothy didn’t attend college and held several jobs throughout his life, including working as a janitor at Harvard, where Chris went to school. — Alex Gurley, PEOPLE, 24 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for janitor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for janitor
  1. custodian
  2. porter
  3. keeper
  4. warden
  5. caretaker
Noun
  • Process owners are becoming the custodians of enterprise autonomy, a responsibility that’s arriving faster than most teams expected.
    — Rajesh Gharpure, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2026
  • According to the Reza website, the brand actually dates back to the mid-1700s when the emperor of Persia selected the ancestors of the Reza family as custodians of the royal treasury eventually to serve as royal jewelers of Persia.
    — David Moin, Footwear News, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of custodian
Noun
  • Innkeepers may be pressed into service, or drivers, porters, errand boys or grooms.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Aug. 2026
  • On the plus side, the maintenance fees feel surprisingly reasonable for the neighborhood — $1,043 a month — which get you a storage unit, gym, playroom, and roof deck, along with a super, a porter, and a part-time doorman.
    — Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of porter
Noun
  • Brazilian ’keeper Rogerio Ceni was Sao Paulo’s set-piece taker between 1997 and 2015, and scored 129 goals.
    — Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Allison Rugila, associate Sound keeper with Save the Sound, said that the presence of dolphins in the Long Island Sound points to both an ecological success story and a potential warning about the impacts of climate change.
    — Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of keeper
Noun
  • According to the post, Kentucky State Police Aviation saw smoke in the area, and wardens and search and rescue personnel were able to access the location, near the headwaters of Cave Run Lake, using a boat.
    — Caroline Neal, Louisville Courier Journal, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Game wardens did arrest nine people across Georgia for boating under the influence, the majority of whom were at Lake Lanier.
    — Dan Raby, CBS News, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of warden
Noun
  • Most recently, Jackson’s namesake was appointed Burnley’s caretaker manager until the end of the 2025/26 season.
    — Nnamdi Onyeagwara, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
  • During his testimony, the prosecution produced a spiral notebook in which Clancy had left instructions for caretakers on when to put down the baby, which vegetables to prepare for dinner, how to cut up the sweet potatoes.
    — Eren Orbey, New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of caretaker

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jangly
janitor
janitors
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Cite this Entry

“Janitor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/janitor. Accessed 13 Sep. 2026.

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