stewardship
noun
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Good Stewardship
When stewardship first appeared in English during the Middle Ages, it functioned as a job description, denoting the office of a steward, or manager of a large household. Over the centuries, its range of reference spread to the oversight of law courts, employee unions, college dining halls, Masonic lodges, and many other organizations. In recent years, the long-established "management" sense of stewardship has evolved a positive meaning, “careful and responsible management.” This sense is commonly found nowadays in contexts such as “stewardship of the environment, the family business,” etc. It also occasionally appears as an adjective in phrases such as “stewardship fundraising" (that is, fundraising aimed at building good relationships with donors in order to keep them loyal).
Synonyms
Examples of stewardship in a Sentence
Julia Eskins, Travel + Leisure, 31 May 2024
Assuming responsibility for the life, health and happiness of an animal is an almost sacred stewardship.
—Amy Dickinson, The Mercury News, 27 May 2024
All of the organizations and volunteers involved in these plant swaps are dedicated to educating about native plants, promoting environmental stewardship for healthier ecosystems, and fostering sustainable gardening practices.
—Tamara Yakaboski, The Denver Post, 24 May 2024
Good financial stewardship requires planning and budgeting for actual costs, not hope-for costs.
—Kelly G. Richardson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for stewardship 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'stewardship.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near stewardship
Cite this Entry
“Stewardship.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stewardship. Accessed 6 Jun. 2024.
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stewardship
noun
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