custody

noun

ˈkə-stə-dē How to pronounce custody (audio)
Definition of custodynext
as in care
responsibility for the safety and well-being of someone or something the government department having custody of all official state gifts

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 custody Often, the prospect of leaving carries the possibilities of financial insecurity, child custody issues and prolonged court battles. — Kristen Rogers, CNN Money, 6 Oct. 2026 The trial in Charlotte was postponed for a week after Bakker had a panic attack upon being taken into custody. — Tim Funk, Charlotte Observer, 6 Oct. 2026 Police were given the license plate of the vehicle the suspect drove away from the shooting scene in, and he was found at another location and taken into custody, according to court documents. — Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 6 Oct. 2026 The custody trial has received a lot of attention in the country, with German tabloids offering heavy coverage from the court. — ABC News, 6 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for custody
Recent Examples of Synonyms for custody
  1. care
  2. guardianship
  3. custodianship
  4. control
  5. safekeeping
Noun
  • Perinatal palliative care is an important and compassionate option.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026
  • The other was identified by REACH as Brad Sparks, a flight nurse who is still receiving medical care.
    — Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of care
Noun
  • Former heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko has petitioned a California court for legal guardianship over the 11-year-old daughter the couple had together.
    — Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Indigenous knowledge is at the heart of every decision made by the alliance, grounded in the Māori concept of kaitiakitanga, or guardianship of the natural world as an intergenerational and universal responsibility.
    — CNT Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of guardianship
Noun
  • Weisbecker is not involved in the efforts but said her main concern was ensuring Indigenous people would have custodianship of the animal and that their input would help shape the thylacine’s de-extinction plans.
    — Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Venezuela’s oil production has jumped under Washington’s custodianship, though questions abound about where those profits, which were intended to help rebuild the country, have ended up.
    — Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of custodianship
Noun
  • Heading into the midterm elections, AI now ranks as a key issue in races that will help decide control of both chambers of Congress.
    — Jeff Masonand Michael Shepard Bloomberg, Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Precise attitude control keeps those instruments pointed at their targets as the satellites race around Earth.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of control
Noun
  • The Uffizi temporarily removed the Caravaggio for safekeeping and closed the room, which reopened as usual on September 18.
    — News Desk, Artforum, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Other tasks she highlights include checking that your windshield washer fluid is rated for freezing temperatures and placing some gloves and a blanket in the trunk for safekeeping.
    — Sarah Lyon, The Spruce, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of safekeeping

Browse Nearby Words

custodies
custody
custom
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Custody.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/custody. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on custody

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about custody

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