landlord

noun

land·​lord ˈland-ˌlȯrd 

1

: the owner of property (such as land, houses, or apartments) that is leased or rented to another

2

: the master of an inn or lodging house : innkeeper

Synonyms

• proprietor
• lessor
• letter
• renter

Examples of landlord in a Sentence

agreed to pay the landlord the rent on the first Monday of each month

a weekend workshop that is intended to disabuse would-be landlords of a bed-and breakfast that the job is one long vacation

Recent Examples on the Web

The seventies were a terrible time for tenants and landlords in New York City. —The New Yorker, New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2025

Upping the ante, Sultana swiftly introduced a bill banning landlords from serving as MPs. —Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 4 Oct. 2025

But in recent years, the retailer has added actual homes to its inventory, listing and regularly refreshing a selection of tiny homes that are easy to assemble and the perfect places to start your life without a landlord. —Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 4 Oct. 2025

Until his father Charles, a garment-district worker, got into a street fight with the landlord. —David Fear, Rolling Stone, 4 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing landlord

• absentee landlord

Rhymes for landlord

• abhorred
• aboard
• accord
• adored
• afford
• award
• baseboard
• billboard
• blackboard
• boxboard
• breadboard
• broadsword

Kids Definition

landlord

noun

land·​lord -ˌ(d)lȯ(ə)rd 

1

: the owner of land or houses that is rented to another

2

: a person who runs an inn or rooming house

Legal Definition

landlord

noun

land·​lord

: the owner of property (as houses, apartments, or land) that is leased or rented to another