majordomo

IPA/ˌmeɪ.dʒəˈdəʊ.məʊ/
KK[mˌedʒɚdˈomo]IPA/ˌmeɪ.dʒɚˈdoʊ.moʊ/

majordomo — noun

  • majordomosingular
  • majordomosplural

1. the senior servant in a large private house, palace, or estate, who manages all

1.nounC2
Definition

the senior servant in a large private house, palace, or estate, who manages all the other staff and oversees the running of the household.

Example

The duke's majordomo ran the entire estate with quiet authority for thirty years.

possessive + majordomo for noble households

Aoi watched the majordomo direct the kitchen staff before the formal banquet began.

majordomo + direct + staff collocation

Common collocations
  • royal majordomo
  • the majordomo of the estate
  • the duke's majordomo
Synonyms
  • butler

    more common everyday word for a senior male household servant

  • steward

    broader; manages property or finances as well as staff

  • head housekeeper

    feminine equivalent in many households; oversees domestic staff

Grammar Patterns

a/the majordomo of [household/estate]

Usage Note

Subject is usually a large private estate, palace, or noble household; the word evokes a historical or aristocratic setting and is rarely used of a modern household.

Common Mistakes

My mother is the majordomo of our small apartment.
My mother runs our small apartment.
majordomo refers to the head servant of a large estate, not any household manager.

2. someone who handles the practical planning, scheduling, and daily arrangements o

2.nounC2
Definition

someone who handles the practical planning, scheduling, and daily arrangements on behalf of another person, often a wealthy or busy individual.

Example

The film star travelled everywhere with a personal majordomo who booked her flights and hotels.

personal majordomo collocation

Imani served as majordomo for the visiting ambassador throughout his week in the capital.

serve as majordomo for + person

Common collocations
  • personal majordomo
  • act as majordomo
  • serve as majordomo
Synonyms
  • personal assistant

    modern everyday term; less grand-sounding

  • factotum

    literary; emphasises doing every kind of task

  • aide

    neutral; common in political or executive settings

Grammar Patterns

majordomo for [person]

act as majordomo

Usage Note

Distinguish from sense 1: here the role is about scheduling and personal logistics for one individual, not running a household's domestic staff. Often used jokingly or admiringly of an unusually capable personal assistant.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words name a senior household servant, but their scopes differ. A butler is the everyday English word for the chief male indoor servant; he answers the door, serves meals, and is the face the guests see. A steward is broader — he manages the estate's land, accounts, and supplies in addition to the staff, and the term is often used on ships and trains too. A housekeeper specifically oversees cleaning, linens, and the female domestic staff. A majordomo sits above all of them: he is the single most senior member of the household, coordinating butler, steward, and housekeeper together, and the word feels archaic, foreign-sounding, and tied to palaces or grand estates. You would say 'our butler answered the door' but 'the duke's majordomo ran the entire estate'.

majordomo ↗butler ↗steward ↗housekeeper ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • act as majordomo
  • serve as majordomo
  • personal majordomo

Prepositions

  • of (the household/estate)
  • for (a person)

Etymology

Medieval LatinItalian/SpanishEnglish

Borrowed into English in the late 1500s from Italian 'maggiordomo' and Spanish 'mayordomo', both from Medieval Latin 'major domus', literally 'greater of the house' — the title given in the Frankish royal court to the chief officer of the king's household, who eventually grew so powerful that the Carolingian majordomos replaced the Merovingian kings themselves.