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
Many of the background actors were the proprietors or customers—a beautiful collaboration of real life and fiction.
—
Lisa Wong MacAbasco, Vogue, 28 Feb. 2025
Caroline Frey, winemaker and proprietor of Jaboulet and La Chapelle, reminds us that the parentage of Syrah was discovered relatively recently, in 1998, laying to rest the myths about its Middle Eastern ancestry.
—Mike Desimone and Jeff Jenssen, Robb Report, 9 Feb. 2025
The man’s fears are realized when the monkey suddenly begins banging his drum, with a Rube Goldberg-style series of events causing the proprietor to get graphically disemboweled.
—Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Feb. 2025
Clodagh Lawless, proprietor of The Dearborn in the Loop, said the restaurant depended on Loop office workers to hit its lunch revenue projections.
—Peter Breen, Chicago Tribune, 17 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for proprietor
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Lisa Wong MacAbasco, Vogue, 28 Feb. 2025
Caroline Frey, winemaker and proprietor of Jaboulet and La Chapelle, reminds us that the parentage of Syrah was discovered relatively recently, in 1998, laying to rest the myths about its Middle Eastern ancestry.
—Mike Desimone and Jeff Jenssen, Robb Report, 9 Feb. 2025
The man’s fears are realized when the monkey suddenly begins banging his drum, with a Rube Goldberg-style series of events causing the proprietor to get graphically disemboweled.
—Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Feb. 2025
Clodagh Lawless, proprietor of The Dearborn in the Loop, said the restaurant depended on Loop office workers to hit its lunch revenue projections.
—Peter Breen, Chicago Tribune, 17 Feb. 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 13 Mar. 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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