custodian

noun

cus·​to·​di·​an ˌkə-ˈstō-dē-ən How to pronounce custodian (audio)
: one that guards and protects or maintains
especially : one entrusted with guarding and keeping property or records or with custody or guardianship of prisoners or inmates
custodianship noun

Examples of custodian in a Sentence

the custodian made his usual rounds of the building to make sure that everything was OK served as custodian of the prisoner until he could be turned over to federal authorities
Recent Examples on the Web Coinbase Global would be the custodian for the fund's ether holdings, according to the filing. Vicky Ge Huang, WSJ, 9 Nov. 2023 Investors can also contact custodians for a variety of investment opportunities across asset classes. Laxmi Corp, The Salt Lake Tribune, 11 Sep. 2023 Rafael Rendon, a custodian at Disney’s California Adventure Park, has talked to fellow SEIU-USWW members as a shop steward to see what matters most to them ahead of the Master Services Council’s upcoming contract negotiations. Gabriel San Román, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2023 The Coast Guard retains access to the light and the foghorn, and the new custodians are subject to historic-preservation requirements. Dorothy Wickenden, The New Yorker, 30 Oct. 2023 Some of the Pilgrims' first visitors were founding people and custodians of the land, including an Abenaki Indian and a member of the Pawtuxet tribe called Squanto. Fiona Tapp, Parents, 20 Aug. 2023 Phone numbers listed for Worrell and the woman named as his custodian during his house arrest were not functional. Lindsay Whitehurst, Chicago Tribune, 18 Aug. 2023 Neighboring Jordan is the official custodian of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, the most sensitive and contested holy site in Jerusalem, which Jews revere as the Temple Mount. Julia Frankel The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 5 Oct. 2023 For example, a strike by 30,000 non-teaching employees of the Los Angeles Unified School District — school custodians, cafeteria workers, bus drivers and other student services staff — kept about a half-million students out of classrooms for three days in March. Chris Isidore, CNN, 15 Oct. 2023 See More

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

Word History

First Known Use

1602, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of custodian was in 1602

Dictionary Entries Near custodian

Cite this Entry

“Custodian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/custodian. Accessed 28 Nov. 2023.

Kids Definition

custodian

noun
cus·​to·​di·​an ˌkəs-ˈtōd-ē-ən How to pronounce custodian (audio)
1
: someone who guards and protects or takes care of something for another person
2
: someone who cleans and takes care of a building : janitor sense 2

Legal Definition

custodian

noun
cus·​to·​di·​an
: an individual entrusted with guarding and keeping property or having custody of a person: as
a
: the warden of a prison
b
: a person given custody of a child by court order
c
: a person named to manage a child's property under the Uniform Transfers to Minors Act
d
: a person or entity appointed by a bankruptcy court to take charge of the debtor's property for purposes of administration
custodianship noun

More from Merriam-Webster on custodian

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