janitor

noun

ˈja-nə-tər How to pronounce janitor (audio)
Definition of janitornext
1
as in custodian
a person who takes care of a property sometimes for an absent owner got a job as the night janitor at the elementary school

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in porter
a person who tends a door according to popular Christian tradition, St. Peter acts as janitor at heaven's pearly gates

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of janitor Investigators believe Roberts tried to enlist the help of a school janitor to get rid of Russell’s car, penning a note and leaving it hidden inside a cabinet at Linda Lentin K-8 Center in North Miami, where Roberts was working at the time. — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 9 Oct. 2026 Shares of Kellermeyer Bergensons Services, whose janitors clean 2 billion square feet of commercial property every day, have been written down to nothing. — Ellen Dimauro, semafor.com, 7 Oct. 2026 An April 2025 legionella report obtained by The Sacramento Bee shows the bacteria was found in at least 17 samples, including those taken from the men’s locker room, a women’s bathroom and several janitor closets. — Corey Schmidt, Sacbee.com, 3 Oct. 2026 The janitor resumed snapping at the bushes with her shears—tiny, clear quartz beads scattered. — Literary Hub, 28 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for janitor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for janitor
  1. custodian
  2. porter
  3. keeper
  4. warden
  5. caretaker
Noun
  • Some of the firm’s most successful investments included decentralized exchange Uniswap and crypto custodian Anchorage Digital.
    — Camila Grigera Naón, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026
  • She’s worked as an evidence custodian, and then as a deputy, and has served in a variety of roles, like as a detective, crime scene evidence technician and field training officer.
    — Molly Morrow, Chicago Tribune, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of custodian
Noun
  • The holiday capsule arrives at a time when Net-a-porter has been sharpening its focus on product, service and storytelling under chief executive officer Heather Kaminetsky.
    — Tianwei Zhang, Footwear News, 26 Oct. 2026
  • The hospital porter said that the dispute was all about the cost of living.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of porter
Noun
  • But just as meaningful - if not more so - is witnessing the increasing volume of players who seem like keepers.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Then the Wildcats raced down the field on only five plays to up it to 14-3, scoring on Chiles' keeper.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of keeper
Noun
  • Wasson, by contrast, kicks off by quoting three letters from prisoners in San Quentin, from 1947, addressed to the warden.
    — Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Since the story blew up, the warden ordered at least two raids to confiscate anything brought in illegally, TMZ adds.
    — Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of warden
Noun
  • There’s also a 5,000-square-foot guesthouse, a caretaker’s residence, and a separate two-bedroom guardhouse.
    — Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 23 Oct. 2026
  • After being Claudia’s full-time caretaker for years until her death in 2024 at age 96, Young relocated back to Santa Barbara and cultivated his social media audience by sharing insights into the music business.
    — Kyle Eustice, VIBE.com, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of caretaker

Browse Nearby Words

jangly
janitor
janitors
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Cite this Entry

“Janitor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/janitor. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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