stewardship

noun

stew·​ard·​ship ˈstü-ərd-ˌship 

ˈstyü-;

ˈst(y)u̇rd-

1

: the office, duties, and obligations of a steward

2

: the conducting, supervising, or managing of something

especially : the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one's care

stewardship of natural resources

Did you know?

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).

Synonyms

• management
• supervision
• handling
• administration
• operation
• control
• oversight
• governance
• government
• direction

Examples of stewardship in a Sentence

generally the dean left the day-to-day stewardship of the college to the assistant dean

she believes that stewardship of the environment is everyone's responsibility

Recent Examples on the Web

Through it all, the mission has stayed constant: environmental stewardship and community care. —Lyssanoel Frater, USA Today, 19 Aug. 2025

Final Takeaway Inheriting a collection represents both a financial asset and responsibility for stewardship of the collection. —Matthew F. Erskine, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2025

Hull said his financial strategy is based on good stewardship and plans to work with the mall’s surrounding business community to create a retail corridor. —Charlotte Observer, 13 Aug. 2025

Composed of current and retired foreign affairs professionals, the fellowship has long supported American sovereignty over globalization, meritocracy over DEI, and the careful stewardship of resources over continuous government growth and budget deficits. —Michael Gfoeller and David H. Rundell, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for stewardship

• authorship
• battleship
• censorship
• chairmanship
• chieftainship
• comradeship
• consulship
• craftsmanship
• dealership
• draftsmanship
• fellowship
• fingertip

Kids Definition

stewardship

noun

stew·​ard·​ship ˈst(y)ü-ərd-ˌship 

ˈst(y)u̇(-ə)rd-

1

: the office and duties of a steward

2

: the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one's care

stewardship of our natural resources