caretaker

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable

   Someone whose job is to take care of a building or piece of land, keeping it clean and in good repair.

   Grammar: Countable and used for a job: 'a caretaker', 'the caretakers'.

   Patterns

   • work as a caretaker
   • the school caretaker
   • caretaker of a building

   The caretaker locks the school gates every evening.

   We called the caretaker when the heating stopped working.

   She got a job as a caretaker at the local sports center.

2. 2nouncountable

   Someone who looks after another person, especially one who is ill, old, or disabled.

   Grammar: Often used with 'of': 'the caretaker of an elderly relative'.

   Patterns

   • caretaker for someone
   • the caretaker of someone
   • act as caretaker

   He became the main caretaker for his grandmother.

   Caretakers need support too, not just the people they look after.

3. 3adjectivebefore a noun

   In charge only until a permanent person or government is chosen.

   Grammar: Used before a noun only: 'a caretaker manager', 'a caretaker government'.

   Patterns

   • caretaker manager
   • caretaker government
   • caretaker role

   A caretaker manager will run the team until the end of the season.

   The country was led by a caretaker government during the talks.

Word forms

Common combinations

school caretaker

The school caretaker fixed the broken window before classes began.

caretaker government

A caretaker government organized the election after the prime minister resigned.

caretaker manager

The club appointed a caretaker manager while it searched for a permanent coach.

act as caretaker

Her brother acted as caretaker for the family farm while she was abroad.

caretaker role

He took a caretaker role at the office until a new director arrived.

Synonyms and how they differ

janitor

Mainly American and usually for a person who cleans and maintains a building, especially a school; 'caretaker' is the usual British word and covers repairs too.

custodian

More formal and often for a person responsible for a public building or a collection; it sounds official.

carer

British English for someone who looks after a sick or old person; it does not usually mean a building worker.

guardian

Used for a person with legal responsibility for a child; stronger and more legal than 'caretaker'.

Word family

care verb

To feel that something matters or to look after someone.

caretaking noun

The work of looking after a building or person.

caretaker adjective

Temporary, as in a caretaker government.

Commonly confused: caretaker or caregiver? caretaker or undertaker?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “caretaker”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

Explore more words