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 of landlord

• 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

Renters should also know that landlords are legally required to maintain indoor temperatures at or below 82 degrees in units with air conditioning and 86 degrees or cooler in units with evaporative coolers. —Hannah Dreyfus, AZCentral.com, 19 Mar. 2026

The ordinance was pushed by Mayor Alysson Snow, a housing rights attorney, who said stronger protections for renters were necessary after local landlords bent substantial renovation rules to clear out longtime renters. —Hannah Elsmore, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Mar. 2026

If medical device users were instead automatically enrolled during a doctor’s visit, or if landlords were required to notify new tenants of these registries, those steps could help reach more people. —Katherine Asmussen, The Conversation, 18 Mar. 2026

High supply and weakening renter demand have apartment landlords living in an ever-more competitive space. —Diana Olick, CNBC, 17 Mar. 2026

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