warden

noun

war·​den ˈwȯr-dᵊn 

1

: one having care or charge of something : guardian, keeper

2

a

: regent sense 2

b

: the governor of a town, district, or fortress

c

: a member of the governing body of a guild

3

a

: an official charged with special supervisory duties or with the enforcement of specified laws or regulations

game warden

air raid warden

b

: an official in charge of the operation of a prison

c

: any of various British officials having designated administrative functions

warden of the mint

4

a

: one of two ranking lay officers of an Episcopal parish

b

: any of various British college officials whose duties range from the administration of academic matters to the supervision of student discipline

Synonyms

• custodian
• guard
• guardian
• keeper
• lookout
• minder
• picket
• sentinel
• sentry
• warder
• watch
• watcher
• watchman

Examples of warden in a Sentence

the warden of the cemetery

in his role as warden of the school, a principal must provide a safe environment for the students

Recent Examples on the Web

In one of those court cases, the state's appeals court sided with a former warden who said he was improperly fired, reinstating his job after more than five years, and granting him back pay, which could add up to $300,000. —Laura Schulte, Journal Sentinel, 8 Apr. 2024

Earlier this month, the Federal Bureau of Investigation raided the facility, prompting federal prisons officials to sack the facility’s warden after less than three months and install a new interim leader. —Jakob Rodgers, The Mercury News, 28 Mar. 2024

Prison officials acknowledged the drugs, which sit in the warden’s office, are in a liquid form, manufactured rather than made at a compounding pharmacy and already have been tested for quality, according to the court records. —Kevin Fixler, Idaho Statesman, 26 Mar. 2024

Corruption and impunity are the key obstacles to public safety across the region, where gangsters elude prison or run criminal enterprises from behind bars because police, judges, and prison wardens are complicit in organized crime. —Gustavo Flores-Macías, Foreign Affairs, 20 Mar. 2024

The warden is ousted as FBI raids a California women’s prison known as the ‘rape club.’ After Newsom veto, California lawmakers try again to ban tampons with ‘forever chemicals.’ Wolverines vanished from California a century ago. —Anthony De Leon, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2024

The former warden was sentenced to more than five years in prison in March. —Phil Helsel, NBC News, 17 Nov. 2023

According to the filing in the class-action suit, the warden transferred an inmate who was a witness in a lawsuit against the prison, violating a judge’s court order that witnesses not be moved without the court’s approval. —Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2024

Eva goes directly to the warden’s office to explain this unforeseen conflict of interest. —Peter Debruge, Variety, 22 Feb. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English wardein, from Anglo-French wardein, gardein, from warder to guard

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing warden

• dog warden
• game warden
• traffic warden

Kids Definition

warden

noun

war·​den ˈwȯrd-ᵊn 

1

: one who has charge or care of something : guardian, keeper

2

: the governor of a town, district, or fortress

3

: an official charged with special duties or with the enforcement of specified laws or regulations

game warden

air-raid warden

4

: an official in charge of a prison

5

a

: a lay officer of an Episcopal parish

b

: any of various British college officials

Legal Definition

warden

noun

war·​den

1

: an official charged with special supervisory duties or with the enforcement of specified laws or regulations

a game warden

2

: an official in charge of the operation of a prison

Etymology

Anglo-French wardein gardein guardian, from warder garder to guard, protect