steward

steward — noun

1. someone who is in charge of looking after a property, organizing an event for an

1.nounB1
Definition

someone who is in charge of looking after a property, organizing an event for an organization, or managing everyday affairs for another person

Example

The estate steward employed by the Watanabe family showed guests around the gardens.

role: estate/property management

Conference stewards at the convention center handed out badges and directed guests to their seats.

role: event steward

Common collocations
  • estate steward
  • race steward
  • conference steward
  • building steward
  • festival steward
Synonyms
  • caretaker

    focuses on physical maintenance and repair of a building or property

  • custodian

    more formal than caretaker; often used for public buildings such as museums or schools

  • manager

    broader operational role controlling staff, budgets, and strategy, without the same sense of duty to an owner

Antonyms
  • owner

    the person who holds legal rights to the property that a steward manages on their behalf

  • guest

    the person who receives services at an event, rather than the one organizing them

Usage Note

Covers a wide range of roles — from managing a private estate to helping at a one-day sporting event. The common thread is taking care of people, places, or things on behalf of another person or organization.

Common Mistakes

The hotel steward cleaned my room every morning.
The hotel housekeeper cleaned my room every morning.
In hospitality, housekeeper or room attendant is the usual title, not steward.
I asked the steward for the menu at the restaurant.
I asked the waiter for the menu at the restaurant.
Steward is not a restaurant server; use waiter or server.

2. a crew member on a ship, aircraft, or train who serves food and drinks to passen

2.nounB1
Definition

a crew member on a ship, aircraft, or train who serves food and drinks to passengers and assists them during the journey

Example

A ship steward brought fresh towels and a menu to the cabin before dinner.

role: ship steward

The airline steward showed passengers how to use the oxygen masks before takeoff.

role: airline steward

Common collocations
  • cabin steward
  • ship's steward
  • flight steward
  • chief steward
  • wine steward
Synonyms
  • flight attendant

    the modern standard term for crew serving passengers on an aircraft

  • cabin crew

    collective term for all stewards and stewardesses working on the same flight

  • purser

    the senior crew member in charge of the cabin staff on a ship or aircraft

Antonyms
  • passenger

    the traveler who receives service from the steward

Usage Note

For aircraft, flight attendant has largely replaced steward in modern use, but steward is still common for ships and trains. Cabin steward is typical on cruise ships.

Common Mistakes

The train steward brought me a coffee.
The train attendant brought me a coffee.
On trains, attendant is more common than steward in most English varieties.

3. an employee at a club, college, or institution who is responsible for buying foo

3.nounB2
Definition

an employee at a club, college, or institution who is responsible for buying food and making sure meals are served to members or residents

Example

The golf club steward ordered fresh fruit and drinks for the members' lounge every Monday.

role: club steward

At the university college, the steward planned meals for over three hundred students each day.

Common collocations
  • club steward
  • college steward
  • mess steward
  • wine steward
  • bar steward
Synonyms
  • caterer

    broader role that may include outside events and contract work rather than employment by one institution

  • food service manager

    the standard American English term for this role

  • mess steward

    specific to military dining facilities

Usage Note

Most common in British English and in traditional institutions such as private clubs, university colleges, and the military. In American English, food service manager or caterer is more typical.

4. a member of a labor union who is chosen by fellow workers to represent their con

4.nounB2
Definition

a member of a labor union who is chosen by fellow workers to represent their concerns when speaking with company management

Example

The factory steward met with senior managers to discuss plans for safer working conditions.

role: union steward

Defne was elected shop steward because colleagues trusted her to handle talks with management.

Common collocations
  • shop steward
  • union steward
  • factory steward
  • elected steward
  • steward committee
Synonyms
  • shop steward

    the most common specific name for this role, especially in manufacturing and retail

  • union rep

    informal shortened form, commonly used in British workplaces

  • worker representative

    a more general formal term that may exist in non-union settings

Antonyms
  • management

    the employer side that the union steward negotiates with on behalf of workers

Usage Note

Also called a shop steward. This role exists in labor unions across many countries; the steward is both a worker and an elected representative, not a full-time union official.

Common Mistakes

The steward called a strike without asking the workers.
The shop steward called a strike after a vote by the workers.
A steward cannot make major decisions alone; they represent the members' collective will.

steward — verb

Word family

  • stewardship
    nounB2
  • stewardess
    nounB1
  • stewarding
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Steward, caretaker, custodian, and manager all describe someone who looks after something, but with different scopes and connotation. A steward (sense 1) manages property or affairs on behalf of another person, often with an implied duty of care — an estate steward handles the owner's land and supervises staff. A caretaker focuses on physical maintenance: a school caretaker fixes broken windows and locks doors at night. A custodian is similar but more formal, used for public buildings and collections — a museum custodian protects valuable exhibits. A manager controls operations and people with an emphasis on efficiency and results: a hotel manager runs the business to make a profit. In short, steward implies loyal service to an owner or principle; caretaker implies hands-on upkeep of a building; custodian implies formal protection of assets; manager implies operational control and leadership.

caretakercustodianmanager ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • chief steward
  • shop steward
  • cabin steward
  • wine steward
  • steward committee

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

Steward comes from Old English stigweard, where stig meant 'hall' or 'house' and weard meant 'guardian' or 'keeper.' The original steward was a household officer who guarded the master's property and managed servants. After the Norman Conquest, the role expanded to include estate management under the French-influenced seneschal. By the 1800s, steward had broadened to cover ship attendants, event organizers, and union representatives — all sharing the core idea of taking care of something on someone else's behalf.