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
For something a little more extravagant, book a private at-home wine tasting with award-winning Minerva Wine—proprietors of the 2-hectare, 10,000-vine Corston Vineyard Estate.
—
Lewis Nunn, Forbes.com, 31 July 2025
Williams teamed up with Laura McCarthy, proprietor of former venues such as Brownies and Lakeside Lounge, among others, on the venture, which occupies the same space as Brownies before its closure over 20 years ago.
—Andrew Flanagan, Variety, 29 July 2025
With an exclusive contract to serve as the sole proprietor of historic City Tavern, Staib researched and developed a revolutionary culinary concept based on the authenticity of colonial-era cooking.
—James Dodson
july 7, Literary Hub, 7 July 2025
Now Miss Manners has a question of her own: Is this decision being made by the proprietor of the business, his wife or the receptionist who claims to know what everybody is doing these days?
—Judith Martin, Sun Sentinel, 3 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for proprietor
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Lewis Nunn, Forbes.com, 31 July 2025
Williams teamed up with Laura McCarthy, proprietor of former venues such as Brownies and Lakeside Lounge, among others, on the venture, which occupies the same space as Brownies before its closure over 20 years ago.
—Andrew Flanagan, Variety, 29 July 2025
With an exclusive contract to serve as the sole proprietor of historic City Tavern, Staib researched and developed a revolutionary culinary concept based on the authenticity of colonial-era cooking.
—James Dodson
july 7, Literary Hub, 7 July 2025
Now Miss Manners has a question of her own: Is this decision being made by the proprietor of the business, his wife or the receptionist who claims to know what everybody is doing these days?
—Judith Martin, Sun Sentinel, 3 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for proprietor
Cite this Entry
“Proprietor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/proprietor. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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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