stewardship
noun
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Good Stewardship
When stewardship first appeared in English during the Middle Ages, it functioned as a job description, denoting the office of a steward, or manager of a large household. Over the centuries, its range of reference spread to the oversight of law courts, employee unions, college dining halls, Masonic lodges, and many other organizations. In recent years, the long-established "management" sense of stewardship has evolved a positive meaning, “careful and responsible management.” This sense is commonly found nowadays in contexts such as “stewardship of the environment, the family business,” etc. It also occasionally appears as an adjective in phrases such as “stewardship fundraising" (that is, fundraising aimed at building good relationships with donors in order to keep them loyal).
Examples of stewardship in a Sentence
Lana Bortolot, Forbes.com, 22 Apr. 2025
Since then, Earth Day has become an annual reflection on environmental stewardship.
—Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Apr. 2025
While the current board includes professionals with expertise in real estate and business management, my background as a biologist and educator adds a critical voice focused on water quality, biodiversity, and environmental stewardship.
—Kate Marijolovic, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Apr. 2025
So much for conservative values and good stewardship.
—Chicago Tribune, 6 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stewardship
Cite this Entry
“Stewardship.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stewardship. Accessed 1 May. 2025.
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stewardship
noun
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