dealership

American  

[dee-ler-ship] / ˈdi lərˌʃɪp /

noun

dealerships plural

1. authorization to sell a commodity.

   He got the dealership for the area after a long investigation into his credit status.

2. a sales agency or distributor having such authorization.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• dealerships
  plural

Etymology

Origin of dealership

First recorded in 1915–20; dealer + -ship

Explanation

A store that has approval to sell a specific brand of goods is a dealership. If you have your heart set on buying a brand new Harley Davidson motorcycle, you might want to visit a dealership for a test ride. A business is considered a dealership if its owner is authorized to sell a certain item (in other words, they're a dealer of that product). It's most common to talk about car dealerships, whether the cars they sell are new or used, but there are also boat dealerships and recreational vehicle dealerships. This word dates from about 1916, when it was defined as "the business of an authorized trader."

Example Sentences

He gave the Oval Office a glittering makeover that the architecture critic Kate Wagner memorably labeled a “cathedral of gilded junk” in the style of “Regional Car Dealership Rococo.”

From Slate • Aug. 5, 2025

When the United Auto Workers struck selected car plants this year, the automakers felt it: Dealership inventories of popular models dropped substantially within just weeks of the strike’s start.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 30, 2023

Dealership thefts are becoming so common, shop owners from Pennsylvania to Virginia have created an informal network to alert each other of break-ins and share lookouts for suspected thieves.

From Washington Post • Jul. 1, 2017

Dealership sales, measured in dollars, fell a seasonally adjusted 0.5% in November from the prior month, the Commerce Department said Wednesday.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 15, 2016

Cherry tweaked the picture, magnifying the plate rack: Vardy Dealership.

From "Burning Blue" by Paul Griffin