steward
gb/stˈuɚd/ us/stˈuɚd/
B1
English
~ 5500
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B2
entity
1
person managing resources responsibly
Someone who looks after and manages money, land, or other important things for another person, group, or for the future.
Usage pattern:
[someone] is a steward of [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think steward only means a person who serves food on a plane or ship. In modern writing, especially about business, religion, or the environment, steward often means someone who carefully manages money, land, or other resources for others or for the future.
Synonyms
caretaker (Suggests looking after something, but does not always include the idea of managing its use long-term the way steward often does.)
Antonyms
spendthrift (Describes someone who wastes money or resources instead of managing them carefully.)
Collocations
good steward
|steward of the environment
|steward of resources
|faithful steward
|responsible steward
|steward of the earth
Themes
business
|environment
|society
|finance
|nature
Examples
- As stewards of the planet, we must reduce our use of fossil fuels.
- The board sees itself as a steward of the company’s long-term value.
- Parents are stewards of their children’s personal data online.
- The charity acts as a steward of the funds donated by the public.
- We have a duty to be good stewards of the limited water resources in this region.
Learner examples
- We should be good stewards of the environment.
- The manager is a careful steward of the company’s money.
- As stewards of this land, we must protect it.
- The organization is a steward of important public records.
- Teachers are stewards of young people’s trust.
Noun
B1
entity
2
attendant serving passengers on transport
Someone who works on a plane, ship, or train and helps passengers and gives them food and drinks.
Usage pattern:
[someone] works as a steward on [a plane / a ship / a train]
Common mistake:
Learners may use steward for all airline staff, but in modern English, flight attendant is more common and gender-neutral. Steward can sound a bit old-fashioned or may be understood as male only in some contexts.
Synonyms
flight attendant (The modern, gender-neutral term; more common than steward on airplanes.)
Antonyms
passenger (Refers to the person being served and transported, not the person doing the serving.)
Collocations
cabin steward
|flight steward
|cruise steward
|head steward
|railway steward
Themes
travel
|work
|services
|transportation
|daily_life
Examples
- The steward walked down the aisle offering drinks to the passengers.
- She worked as a cabin steward on a luxury cruise ship for five years.
- If you need anything during the flight, just ask the steward.
- The railway steward checked our tickets and showed us to our seats.
- A steward quickly brought blankets for the passengers who were feeling cold.
Learner examples
- The steward gave me a cup of coffee on the plane.
- I asked the steward for another blanket.
- My brother is a steward on a cruise ship.
- The steward helped the old man with his bag.
- We called the steward when we felt sick on the boat.
Verb
C1
action
3
to manage or guide carefully
To look after and manage people, money, land, or an event in a careful and responsible way.
Usage pattern:
to steward [something] through [a process / a period]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use only manage where steward would be better, missing the idea of careful, responsible care. Also, steward is mainly used in formal or semi-formal contexts; in everyday conversation, manage is more common.
Synonyms
oversee (Focuses on supervising work or processes; steward adds a nuance of care and responsibility for long-term outcomes.)
Antonyms
mismanage (Means to manage something badly, the opposite of stewarding it carefully and responsibly.)
Collocations
steward resources
|steward the process
|steward a project
|steward an event
|steward the transition
Themes
management
|business
|events
|work
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The committee will steward the funds to ensure they are used wisely.
- She helped steward the organization through a difficult period of change.
- Volunteers are needed to steward the festival and keep things running smoothly.
- The foundation exists to steward these cultural assets for future generations.
- Local leaders are working together to steward the project from planning to completion.
Learner examples
- The manager must steward the company’s money carefully.
- They will steward the event so that everyone is safe.
- Our team will steward this project from start to finish.
- The group wants to steward the forest and protect it.
- She was chosen to steward the changes in the school.
Noun
B2
entity
4
event or crowd supervisor
Someone who works at a big event or in a stadium, helps people find their places, and makes sure everyone is safe and behaves well.
Usage pattern:
[someone] works as a steward at [an event / a stadium]
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this meaning with the transport meaning and think stewards always serve food. At events, stewards usually guide people, check tickets, and help with safety, not food service.
Synonyms
usher (Focuses more on showing people to their seats; steward often includes safety and rule-enforcement duties.)
Antonyms
spectator (A spectator attends the event; a steward works there to manage and help the spectators.)
Collocations
football steward
|race steward
|concert steward
|safety steward
|track steward
Themes
events
|sports
|safety
|arts_entertainment
|daily_life
Examples
- Stewards lined the edge of the pitch to keep fans off the field.
- Ask one of the stewards if you can’t find your seat.
- The race stewards reviewed the incident and issued a penalty.
- Extra stewards were hired to manage the crowds at the music festival.
- Each steward was given a radio to report any safety problems.
Learner examples
- The steward at the stadium showed us our seats.
- Many stewards worked at the concert to keep people safe.
- Race stewards checked that all drivers followed the rules.
- If you are lost, you can ask a steward for help.
- The football steward told the fans to sit down.
Noun
C1
entity
5
union or workplace representative
A worker who speaks for other workers in a union or company and takes their problems to the bosses.
Usage pattern:
[someone] is (the) shop steward for [a group]
Common mistake:
Learners may not realize steward here is a job inside a union or workplace, and may confuse it with the meaning of a person who serves passengers or manages resources.
Synonyms
representative (General word for someone who speaks for others; steward is specifically used in trade unions and some workplaces.)
Antonyms
management (In labor contexts, the steward represents workers, while management represents the employer’s interests.)
Collocations
shop steward
|union steward
|steward meeting
|chief steward
|steward training
Themes
work
|politics
|law
Examples
- If you have a problem with your contract, speak to the shop steward.
- The union stewards met with management to discuss the new shift pattern.
- She was elected steward for the night-shift workers.
- Company policy requires stewards to attend regular training sessions.
- The steward filed a formal grievance on behalf of the employees.
Learner examples
- He is the shop steward in our factory.
- Workers talked to the steward about their pay.
- The steward went to the boss with our complaint.
- Union stewards protect the rights of workers.
- She became a steward to help her co-workers.
Grammar
Dictionary form
steward
IPA
GB/stˈuɚd/
US/stˈuɚd/
Syllables & stress
stew - ard (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (stew)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: steward
- Plural: stewards
Verb
- Base: steward
- 3rd Person Singular: stewards
- Present Participle: stewarding
- Past: stewarded
Word family
Forms
stewards
noun
stewarding
verb
stewarded
verb
Core family
stewardship
noun C1
Related words
stewardess
noun
Expressions
a good steward of
1/ə ɡˈʊd stˈuɚd əv/
fixed phrase
responsible manager of something
Used to say that someone manages and cares for something, like money, land, or the environment, in a careful and responsible way.
Examples
- We must be a good steward of our natural resources.
- The committee promised to be a good steward of the donated funds.
steward of the environment
1/stˈuɚd əv ðə ɪnvˈaɪɹənmənt/
fixed phrase
caretaker of the environment
Someone who takes care of the natural world and uses its resources carefully and responsibly.
Examples
- Every citizen should act as a steward of the environment.
- The organization sees itself as a steward of the environment for future generations.