Custody means having the legal responsibility to care for and make decisions about someone or something. When parents divorce, a court decides which parent gets custody of the children, meaning who they'll live with and who will make important decisions about their education, health, and daily life. Sometimes parents share custody, with children spending time living with each parent.

The word also appears in law enforcement. When police take someone into custody, they arrest them and become responsible for keeping that person secure until their court hearing. Evidence taken into custody means the police are holding and protecting it so it can be used in court.

Think of custody as a combination of protection and responsibility. A museum might take custody of a valuable painting, meaning they're now responsible for keeping it safe. Parents have custody of their children to both protect and care for them.

The related word custodian describes someone who takes care of something: a school custodian maintains and protects the building, while a custodian of historical documents preserves important papers for future generations.