proprietor
noun
pro·pri·e·tor
prə-ˈprī-ə-tər 
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
Examples of proprietor in a Sentence
She is the proprietor of the store.
the proprietor of a used-car dealership
Recent Examples on the Web
The Dodgers can protect their interests while embracing the proprietors of a local barber shop and taco shop, neither of whom is trying to be a villain.
—
Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2024
The two horses ended up in the permanent care of Dogwood Farm proprietor Diane Wood when a man boarding a herd of 17 horses removed 15 and abandoned Beja and Stone.
—Alexandra Rockey Fleming, Peoplemag, 9 Apr. 2024
Even billionaire media mogul and proprietor Rupert Murdoch is struggling—but just in a very different way from young, aspiring homebuyers who can’t afford to break into a housing market riddled with high mortgage rates and home prices.
—Sydney Lake, Fortune, 9 Apr. 2024
The next owners were Spa Girl Cocktails founder Karen Haines and her husband Chris, proprietor of an off-road motorcycle tour company, who picked up the place for a mere $895,000 back in spring 2012.
—Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 3 Apr. 2024
Baritone Jonathan Patton’s speakeasy proprietor Don Pedro, though strongly sung, felt completely out of place in his own bar.
—Michael Andor Brodeur, Washington Post, 21 Mar. 2024
An old-school stainless steel diner — formerly the Wythe Diner, on Wythe Avenue — is sold by the Ukrainian family who owned it to the proprietor of a West Village burrito joint.
—New York Times, 29 Jan. 2024
The hotel’s proprietors, Wirt Blaffer and Howard Cushing, have a deep connection to the town—especially Cushing, whose 1860s family home, The Ledges, inspired much of the interior design of Gardiner House.
—Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 18 Mar. 2024
For burger proprietors — including smaller, mom-and-pop shops — and burger lovers alike, the price environment may not get any easier.
—Alicia Wallace, CNN, 12 Mar. 2024
Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2024
The two horses ended up in the permanent care of Dogwood Farm proprietor Diane Wood when a man boarding a herd of 17 horses removed 15 and abandoned Beja and Stone.
—Alexandra Rockey Fleming, Peoplemag, 9 Apr. 2024
Even billionaire media mogul and proprietor Rupert Murdoch is struggling—but just in a very different way from young, aspiring homebuyers who can’t afford to break into a housing market riddled with high mortgage rates and home prices.
—Sydney Lake, Fortune, 9 Apr. 2024
The next owners were Spa Girl Cocktails founder Karen Haines and her husband Chris, proprietor of an off-road motorcycle tour company, who picked up the place for a mere $895,000 back in spring 2012.
—Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 3 Apr. 2024
Baritone Jonathan Patton’s speakeasy proprietor Don Pedro, though strongly sung, felt completely out of place in his own bar.
—Michael Andor Brodeur, Washington Post, 21 Mar. 2024
An old-school stainless steel diner — formerly the Wythe Diner, on Wythe Avenue — is sold by the Ukrainian family who owned it to the proprietor of a West Village burrito joint.
—New York Times, 29 Jan. 2024
The hotel’s proprietors, Wirt Blaffer and Howard Cushing, have a deep connection to the town—especially Cushing, whose 1860s family home, The Ledges, inspired much of the interior design of Gardiner House.
—Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 18 Mar. 2024
For burger proprietors — including smaller, mom-and-pop shops — and burger lovers alike, the price environment may not get any easier.
—Alicia Wallace, CNN, 12 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'proprietor.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near proprietor
Cite this Entry
“Proprietor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/proprietor. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationLegal Definition
proprietor
noun
pro·pri·e·tor
prə-ˈprī-ə-tər
: 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
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