proprietor

American  

[pruh-prahy-i-ter] / prəˈpraɪ ɪ tər /

noun

proprietors plural

1. the owner of a business establishment, a hotel, etc.

2. a person who has the exclusive right or title to something; an owner, as of real property.

3. a group of proprietors; proprietary.

---

proprietor British  

/ prəˌpraɪəˈtɔːrɪəl, prəˈpraɪətə /

noun

1. an owner of an unincorporated business enterprise

2. a person enjoying exclusive right of ownership to some property

3. history a governor or body of governors of a proprietary colony

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonproprietor
  noun
• proprietorship
  noun
• proprietress
  noun
• proprietorial
  adjective
• proprietorially
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• proprietors
  plural

Etymology

Origin of proprietor

First recorded in 1630–40; propriet(ary) + -or ²

Explanation

Someone who owns a business or a property is a proprietor. A bookstore proprietor might wish she became a librarian instead so the books would come back. The first part of proprietor sounds a lot like "property," and a proprietor is someone with ownership of property. Sometimes a proprietor oversees the business, such as a restaurant proprietor who is also a chef or hostess, and other times a proprietor owns many businesses and has different people running them. A proprietor of a local bakery might make and sell his own donuts, while the proprietor of a chain of donut shops might work from an office managing the people who manage the stores.

Example Sentences

However, there are other risks associated with being a sole proprietor that should be considered.

From MarketWatch • May 26, 2026

For Joshua Pollack, the New Jersey-born proprietor of Rosenberg’s Bagels & Delicatessen in Denver, making an authentic New York bagel starts with producing authentic New York water, which many consider essential.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 9, 2026

The proprietor of Los Angeles’ legendary Clifton’s has given up on reopening the shuttered venue.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 18, 2026

"We are suffering a lot," said Kishor Dulera, a tile unit proprietor who closed this factory and two others in early March, sending hundreds of workers home.

From Barron's • Mar. 29, 2026

Presently, the proprietor would come over and ask how things were going.

From "Native Son" by Richard Wright