Definition of custodiannext
1
as in keeper
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 guardian
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 defender
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

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 custodian In order to receive the tax advantages of a gold IRA, the IRS requires your precious metals to be held by a qualified custodian. Faith Wakefield, USA Today, 12 June 2026 The college currently consists of 11 officers of arms, who undertake the genealogical research and act as custodians of the records. Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 9 June 2026 Obama stopped by the Jackson Park facility to hear personal stories from custodians, security guards, visitor services staffers, and more. Todd Feurer, CBS News, 8 June 2026 The forgers of the future have become custodians of an optimistic past. Justin Davidson, Curbed, 4 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for custodian
Recent Examples of Synonyms for custodian
Noun
  • Jayed ruled that Waldermar Anton collided with the keeper while the ball was airborne, disallowing the goal.
    Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 29 June 2026
  • Rest in peace, Ser Simon Strong, castellan of Harrenhal, drip king, stealth diva, keeper of the best vibes on House of the Dragon.
    Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 29 June 2026
Noun
  • The irony is that in not trying to pass muster with more conservative theatergoers (and their fastidious institutional guardians), playwrights have been winning over not just critics but also formerly squeamish artistic directors and perennially nervous Broadway producers.
    Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 29 June 2026
  • Evacuees must provide proof of evacuation, and parents or guardians must remain with their children at all times.
    Jennifer McRae, CBS News, 29 June 2026
Noun
  • Norway’s Andreas Schjelderup chipped the ball toward the goal from the left side, and Haaland leaped, swung his neck and headed it into the net, outjumping Brazil’s 6-foot-3 defender Gabriel Magalhães, his Premier League nemesis.
    Tim Rohan, NBC news, 6 July 2026
  • Before Mbappe scored his penalty, Gustavo Velazquez, the Paraguayan defender, scuffed the penalty spot, another underhanded attempt to disturb the tournament favourites.
    Adam Crafton, New York Times, 5 July 2026
Noun
  • The janitor of the school is more important than the principal.
    Mac Engel June 29, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 June 2026
  • Broadwater, then 20, had grown up as one of six children of a janitor who worked for Syracuse University.
    Joaquin Sapien, ProPublica, 30 June 2026
Noun
  • Judge McCaslin weighed in on the laptop issue during Monday's hearing, saying that the prison warden would not allow Murdaugh to keep a laptop in his cell due to safety concerns.
    Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 30 June 2026
  • McAndrew served as warden of Florida State Prison in the mid-’90s, when Florida still used the electric chair.
    Pamela Colloff, ProPublica, 30 June 2026
Noun
  • Robinson’s value is complicated, as the elite rim protector and offensive rebounder has a history of ankle surgeries, and he’s been played off of the court in the postseason due to his free-throw-shooting deficiencies.
    Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 29 June 2026
  • László Moholy-Nagy hovers low over a gaggle of pigeons, suspending the viewer uneasily between protector and predator.
    Rachel Syme, New Yorker, 26 June 2026
Noun
  • The congregation started to arrive at the usual time, about half an hour before Mass on a recent Saturday afternoon, the old church slowly filling with the descendants and caretakers of a place of great serenity but also great loss.
    Andrew Carter, Chicago Tribune, 5 July 2026
  • Jack Nicholson plays the new caretaker of a remote Colorado hotel in the offseason, bringing his family and hoping to overcome writer's block.
    Brian Truitt, USA Today, 1 July 2026
Noun
  • Former Houston standout guard Kingston Flemings hit a deep jumper — his toe was ruled on the 3-point line — with three seconds left in OT, slicing Utah’s lead to one, 100-99.
    Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 5 July 2026
  • Tempers flared late in the fourth quarter when Kings center Dylan Cardwell and Nets guard Egor Demin wrestled for a loose ball.
    Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 5 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Custodian.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/custodian. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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