Steward Meaning
/ˈstjuː.əːd/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounA person who manages the property or affairs for another entity.
nounA person who manages the property or affairs for another entity., A chief administrator of a medieval manor.
Sentence Examples
"Here you are," the steward says.
Fear no more the boss's bark, nor all the union steward's rages.
You are the steward of your own destiny.
CEFR Practice Quiz
On the ship, the ____ checked passengers' tickets and cleaned the rooms.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The flight ____ offered all the passengers a selection of drinks and small snacks during the trip.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English steward, stiward, from Old English stiġweard (“steward, housekeeper, one who has the superintendence of household affairs, guardian”), from stiġ (“a wooden enclosure; house, hall”) + weard (“ward, guard, guardian, keeper”), equivalent to sty + ward. Compare Icelandic stívarður (“steward”). More at sty, ward.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"There is an hour or two, after the passengers have embarked, which is disquieting and fussy. Mail bags, so I understand, are being put on board. Stewards, carrying cabin trunks, swarm in the corridors. Passengers wander restlessly about or hurry, with futile energy, from place to place."
— 1915, G[eorge] A. Birmingham [pseudonym; James Owen Hannay], chapter I, in Gossamer, New York, N.Y.: George H. Doran Company, →OCLC:
"The gay Kibbutzniks I met were all ex-Kibbutzniks who were curretly holding jobs as El-Al stewards or in some similarly classic gay professions."
— 1974 February 9, Joe, “Reactions”, in Gay Community News, volume 1, number 33, page 6:
"These lands must have been retained by some earlier Steward, perhaps Walter II (1204-41), when most of Erskine had been made into a fief for Henry, first known ancestor of the Erskine family."
— 2001, The Innes Review:
"Assemblyman John S. Wisniewski, a Democrat from Middlesex County, said, “It’s an uncomfortable situation,” but added that Mr. Codey is nevertheless “ably stewarding the state.”"
— 2007 May 1, Richard G. Jones, “An Acting Governor’s Balancing Act: Taking the Lead Without Stepping on Toes”, in New York Times:
Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
On the ship, the ____ checked passengers' tickets and cleaned the rooms.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The flight ____ offered all the passengers a selection of drinks and small snacks during the trip.