landlord

noun

land·​lord ˈland-ˌlȯrd How to pronounce landlord (audio)
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

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 landlord’s family has owned the building for generations — his grandparents lived in Kfoury’s apartment a few decades ago. Alice Newell-Hanson, New York Times, 21 Sep. 2023 Experts say the trend is driven by a rising number of vacancies across the region that have forced some landlords to accept less. Andrew Khouri, Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2023 As more people choose to stay put and more apartments become and stay vacant, landlords may be forced to lower prices or otherwise incentivize prospective tenants. Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 19 Sep. 2023 Councilman Zeke Cohen questioned whether there was the possibility of sanctions for contractors who receive timely payment from the city but delay paying landlords. Emily Opilo, Baltimore Sun, 12 Sep. 2023 Once people do find shelter space, the path out of homelessness can be arduous, with long wait times for housing choice vouchers and housing leads that turn out to be dead ends because of the shortage of affordable units and landlords willing to accept subsidies. Nushrat Rahman, Detroit Free Press, 10 Sep. 2023 One of the notable reveals of Season 2 is the real identity of Selene, Rand's lover and landlord. Milan Polk, Men's Health, 8 Sep. 2023 The caller described hearing arguing in the same unit referenced earlier by the landlord, the summary said. Tess Williams, Anchorage Daily News, 7 Sep. 2023 The landlord held the space for eight months as the couple worked on their design and business plans, then negotiated a lease and parking spaces in a nearby lot. Mrussell, oregonlive, 14 Sep. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'landlord.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of landlord was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near landlord

Cite this Entry

“Landlord.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/landlord. Accessed 4 Oct. 2023.

Kids Definition

landlord

noun
land·​lord -ˌ(d)lȯ(ə)rd How to pronounce landlord (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on landlord

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!