landlord

noun

land·​lord ˈland-ˌlȯrd How to pronounce landlord (audio)
Synonyms of landlordnext
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Parents in the bleachers commiserated about insurance battles and issues with landlords and having to relocate again and again and again. Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2026 Bonnefous says the gallery owes money only to the landlord and the bank, not her artists. Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 12 May 2026 Don’t try to handle a squatter yourself by changing locks, hauling out belongings or shutting off utilities — Texas law treats that as a self-help eviction and can backfire if the person turns out to have tenant rights, making court eviction the required route in landlord-tenant cases. Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 May 2026 The lawsuit also names landlords of the building where the stabbing happened and the legal guardians of the 15-year-old. Alice Gainer, CBS News, 11 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for landlord

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

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Cite this Entry

“Landlord.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/landlord. Accessed 16 May. 2026.

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

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