noun
warden
WAW-duhn
noun
1
The chief administrative officer in charge of a prison.
"The warden approved a new rehabilitation programme for inmates."
2
An official responsible for enforcing certain rules or regulations.
"A traffic warden ticketed the car for overstaying its permit."
How to Use Warden
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishSomeone in charge of enforcing rules or overseeing a place, such as a prison or car park.
UK vs US
In the US, "warden" typically refers to a prison governor; in the UK it more often refers to enforcement officials like traffic wardens, though prison wardens also exist.
Common pairings
prison warden
traffic warden
game warden
Word Forms
wardened past tense, wardens plural, wardens plural, wardens singular
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The _____ approved a new rehabilitation programme for inmates.
Etymology
From Anglo-Norman wardein, related to "guard" — a doublet of "guardian," both ultimately from the same Germanic root meaning to watch over.