# custodian

/kəˈstoʊdiən/ (US) · /kʌstˈəʊdiən/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/custodian
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. a guardian of something valuable

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal

someone who is responsible for protecting or looking after something important, like a tradition, a building, or a child.

For teachers: a person entrusted with the custody or care of something or someone; a protector of assets, values, or legal interests.

- The museum acts as the custodian of the nation's most important historical documents.
- As the sole custodian of the family estate, she felt a heavy responsibility to preserve the land for future generations.

Usage: Often followed by the preposition 'of'.

### 2. a building cleaner

noun · CEFR B2 · American English

a person whose job is to clean and take care of a large building, like a school.

For teachers: a person employed to clean and maintain a building, such as a school or office complex.

- The school custodian made sure all the classrooms were clean before the students arrived.
- The head custodian reported that the heating system required urgent repairs before the winter term began.

Teaching tip: In British English, 'caretaker' is the standard term for this role; 'custodian' is almost exclusively used for the 'guardian' sense.

## Examples

- The custodian cleans the school every evening.
- As the custodian of the historical archives, she ensures that the fragile documents are kept in a climate-controlled room.
- The court appointed a legal custodian to manage the estate's assets until the heirs reached the age of majority, ensuring the capital remained protected from market volatility.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.