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 of warden

• custodian
• guardian
• guard
• keeper
• warder

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

The sheriff also said the warden had reached out regarding an allegation of an incident under the Prison Rape Elimination Act, but then did not call the department back to further investigate. —Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Mar. 2026

On this gravelly, dusty, single lane, Bob Markle applied a pursuit trick that wardens learn early. —Dave Duffey, Outdoor Life, 26 Mar. 2026

National Guard members and Department of Natural Resources wardens checked on drivers using snowmobiles and made sure people had enough food and water. —Sophie Carson, jsonline.com, 16 Mar. 2026

Lamont noted that Carlos is already well known to the agency and has years of experience there, having worked as a substance abuse counselor and a warden at York Correctional Institution. —Emilia Otte, Hartford Courant, 13 Mar. 2026

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

Rhymes for warden

• cordon
• churchwarden

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

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