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

Synonyms of proprietor

• owner

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

There, in a commercial kitchen, proprietor Adeola Adedayo has a few pots bubbling on a stove. —Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 11 Dec. 2025

The same year, the architect turned his sole proprietor firm into a partnership with several senior architects and continued to build his oscillating architecture in cities across Asia, Europe, and the United States. —Elizabeth Fazzare, Architectural Digest, 5 Dec. 2025

Enter Michael Hingston and Natalie Olsen, proprietors of Hingston & Olsen, the very cool Canadian small press that does (among other neat projects) just such an advent calendar! —Literary Hub, 5 Dec. 2025

The proprietors are twin brothers Smoke and Stack Moore — Jordan plays both — who return to their segregated hometown with ulterior motives, unresolved romances, money and soldiering scars from the Chicago mob. —Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 5 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

alteration of proprietary entry 2, by substitution of -or entry 1 for -ary entry 1

First Known Use

1537, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Phrases Containing proprietor

• co-proprietor

Rhymes for proprietor

• quieter

Kids Definition

proprietor

noun

pro·​pri·​etor

p(r)ə-ˈprī-ət-ər

1

: a person to whom ownership of a colony is granted

2

: a person who is owner

the proprietor of the store

proprietorship

-ˌship

noun

Legal 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