proprietor

noun

pro·​pri·​e·​tor prə-ˈprī-ə-tər 

1

: one granted ownership of a colony (such as one of the original American colonies) and full prerogatives of establishing a government and distributing land

2

a

: a person who has the legal right or exclusive title to something : owner

b

: one having an interest (such as control or present use) less than absolute and exclusive right

Synonyms

• holder
• owner
• possessor

Examples of proprietor in a Sentence

She is the proprietor of the store.

the proprietor of a used-car dealership

Recent Examples on the Web

The proprietors needed a fast, storm resistant and beautiful solution. —Robert C. Wolcott, Forbes.com, 8 Apr. 2025

Both were crashing bores because of the literally nauseating behavior of fans and the uncaring attitude of the proprietors. —Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2025

Added together, the channel proprietors scheduled to be part of the showcase drew more than 77 billion minutes of viewing in the U.S. among adults 18 to 24. —Dade Hayes, Deadline, 11 Mar. 2025

Now proprietors are going after adults with concepts like Holey Moley and Punch Bowl Social, which combines eating and drinking with nostalgic amusements such as billiards, bowling, darts and arcade games. —Roger Vincent, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

alteration of proprietary entry 1

First Known Use

1537, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Phrases Containing proprietor

• co-proprietor

Rhymes for proprietor

• quieter

Kids Definition

proprietor

noun

pro·​pri·​etor

p(r)ə-ˈprī-ət-ər

1

: a person to whom ownership of a colony is granted

2

: a person who is owner

the proprietor of the store

proprietorship

-ˌship

noun

Legal Definition

proprietor

noun

pro·​pri·​e·​tor prə-ˈprī-ə-tər 

: one who has legal right or exclusive title to something : owner

also : one (as a lessee) having an interest (as control or present use) less than absolute or exclusive right