warden

Meanings

1. 1nouncountableAmerican

   The official in charge of running a prison.

   Grammar: Countable; American usage for the head of a prison, as in the prison warden.

   Patterns

   • the warden of a prison
   • a prison warden

   The warden announced new visiting hours for the prison.

   Reporters asked the warden about the escape.

   The warden has run the state prison for eleven years.

2. 2nouncountable

   A person who guards or looks after a particular place, thing or group, such as wildlife, a park or students.

   Grammar: Usually appears in compounds: game warden, park warden, fire warden.

   Patterns

   • a game warden
   • a hall warden

   The game warden checked hunters' licenses at dawn.

   A park warden showed us where the owls nest.

   The fire warden made sure everyone left the building.

3. 3nouncountableBritish

   In Britain, an official who checks and enforces rules, such as a traffic warden, or the head of some colleges and care homes.

   Grammar: A British usage: the warden of a college or a traffic warden.

   Patterns

   • a traffic warden
   • the warden of a college

   A traffic warden left a ticket on the windshield.

   The warden of the college welcomed the new students.

   The warden of the retirement home knows every resident by name.

Word forms

Common combinations

prison warden

The prison warden approved the transfer.

game warden

A game warden patrols the forest.

traffic warden

The traffic warden gave a parking ticket to the van.

fire warden

The fire warden led the evacuation drill.

air raid warden

During the war, an air raid warden checked blackout curtains.

Synonyms and how they differ

guard

Guard is a person who watches over someone or something, but it does not suggest being the head official as warden often does.

ranger

Ranger is used for people who patrol parks and forests, narrower than warden.

custodian

Custodian suggests a caretaker of a building or collection, with less sense of authority than warden.

governor

Governor is the British word for the head of a prison, whereas warden is the American term.

Opposites

Word family

ward noun

a hospital room, or a person under protection

warder noun

a British prison guard

wardenship noun

the office or role of a warden

guardian noun

a person who protects or looks after another

Commonly confused: warden or warder? warden or warden vs. ward?

Practice

Make it your own

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

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