custodian
noun
cus·to·di·an
ˌkə-ˈstō-dē-ən 
: 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
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
If the new Six Flags for whatever reason is not able to hold on to both Magic Mountain and Knott’s Berry Farm, Silver Dollar City owner Herschend Family Entertainment would provide an excellent custodian for Knott’s.
—
Robert Niles, Orange County Register, 5 Apr. 2024
What if a nurse—or a receptionist, or a custodian—were lured into making an allegation?
—Stephania Taladrid, The New Yorker, 4 Apr. 2024
Allison-Natale said organizing efforts started with custodians and have grown from there.
—Sarah Ritter, Kansas City Star, 22 Mar. 2024
The Modi administration also courted major international partners to open rupee vostro bank accounts, a mechanism for domestic banks to act as custodians of foreign counterparts for facilitating forex settlements.
—Gaurav Sharma, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2024
The custodian will handle the transfer of funds from your 401(k) into the new gold IRA.
—Jon Stojan, USA TODAY, 4 Jan. 2024
Details in the death of a school custodian whose body was found late February in a stairwell at a Wayne Township elementary school have been revealed.
—Sarah Nelson, The Indianapolis Star, 7 Mar. 2024
Seated in the second row was Deon Tedder, the son of a custodian and a secretary, who was elected last year to the state senate.
—Evan Osnos, The New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2024
Biden sought to broaden this Israeli–Sunni Arab compact by seeking normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest oil producer and the custodian of Islam’s holiest sites.
—Martin Indyk, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024
Robert Niles, Orange County Register, 5 Apr. 2024
What if a nurse—or a receptionist, or a custodian—were lured into making an allegation?
—Stephania Taladrid, The New Yorker, 4 Apr. 2024
Allison-Natale said organizing efforts started with custodians and have grown from there.
—Sarah Ritter, Kansas City Star, 22 Mar. 2024
The Modi administration also courted major international partners to open rupee vostro bank accounts, a mechanism for domestic banks to act as custodians of foreign counterparts for facilitating forex settlements.
—Gaurav Sharma, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2024
The custodian will handle the transfer of funds from your 401(k) into the new gold IRA.
—Jon Stojan, USA TODAY, 4 Jan. 2024
Details in the death of a school custodian whose body was found late February in a stairwell at a Wayne Township elementary school have been revealed.
—Sarah Nelson, The Indianapolis Star, 7 Mar. 2024
Seated in the second row was Deon Tedder, the son of a custodian and a secretary, who was elected last year to the state senate.
—Evan Osnos, The New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2024
Biden sought to broaden this Israeli–Sunni Arab compact by seeking normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest oil producer and the custodian of Islam’s holiest sites.
—Martin Indyk, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024
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
Articles Related to custodian
Dictionary Entries Near custodian
Cite this Entry
“Custodian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/custodian. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
custodian
noun
cus·to·di·an
ˌkəs-ˈtōd-ē-ən
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
Nglish: Translation of custodian for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of custodian for Arabic Speakers
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