proprietor

noun pro·pri·e·tor \ prə-ˈprī-ə-tər \

|Updated on: 13 Aug 2018

Examples: proprietor in a Sentence

Definition of proprietor

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

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proprietorship

play \prə-ˈprī-ə-tər-ˌship\ noun

See proprietor defined for English-language learners

See proprietor defined for kids

Examples of proprietor in a Sentence

She is the proprietor of the store.
the proprietor of a used-car dealership

Recent Examples of proprietor from the Web

For owners of pass-through businesses — sole proprietors, partners and owners of companies structured as S corporations — the uncertainty around the 20 percent deduction comes from the list of ways they could be disqualified.

— joyce m. rosenberg, Houston Chronicle, "Lingering limbo: Businesses uncertain about tax law impact," 27 May 2018
Journalists say that media proprietors, who often have multiple kinds of businesses, are risk averse and can be leaned on by the government.

— raju gopalakrishnan, The Christian Science Monitor, "Indian journalists face consequences if critical of Modi's administration," 26 Apr. 2018
The film was to have been a biopic of Gill, the late proprietor of a massage parlor and prostitution business in Pittsburgh.

— josephine livingstone, The New Republic, "Scarlett Johansson won’t play a trans man after all.," 13 July 2018
But as Ciara Nugent reports for TIME, the classic French bistro is in trouble—and one proprietor is leading a campaign to save them.

— brigit katz, Smithsonian, "The Parisian Bistro Is Disappearing," 12 July 2018
Artists and husband-and-wife-proprietors Oliver and Grace Estrada are also beyond excited about their weeks-old Scout West County.

— SFChronicle.com, "25 ways to chase your perfect Bay Area summer," 11 July 2018
Bela and Martha Karolyi, the owners and proprietors of the Karolyi Ranch, were not charged due to a lack of evidence on which to base charges, according to prosecutors.

— refinery29.com, "Larry Nassar Charged With Six More Counts Of Sexual Assault In Texas," 1 July 2018
Running the show is the mysterious Cynthia, the farm’s proprietor and queen bee, who supervises the chores that occupy most of the day.

— jennifer haigh, New York Times, "A Buzzworthy Debut About a Mysterious and Secluded Artists’ Retreat," 29 June 2018
And in vintage burger joint news, another titan of the longtime local restaurant scene, Richard Sanchis, proprietor of Arctic Roadrunner, has died.

— julia o'malley, Anchorage Daily News, "How Alaska Eats: How to find fresh salmon and rule the sourdough pancake universe," 28 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'proprietor.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of proprietor

alteration of ¹proprietary

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1537

in the meaning defined at sense 2a

See Words from the same year

proprietor Synonyms

PROPRIETOR Defined for English Language Learners

proprietor

noun

Definition of proprietor for English Language Learners

: a person who owns a business or property

PROPRIETOR Defined for Kids

proprietor

noun pro·pri·e·tor \ prə-ˈprī-ə-tər \

Definition of proprietor for Students

: a person who owns something : owner

Law Dictionary

proprietor

noun pro·pri·e·tor \ prə-ˈprī-ə-tər \

legal Definition of proprietor

: 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