concessionaire

American  

[kuhn-sesh-uh-nair] / kənˌsɛʃ əˈnɛər /

Also concessioner

noun

1. a person, group, or company to whom a concession has been granted, especially to operate a subsidiary business or service.

   a popcorn concessionaire at a baseball park.

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concessionaire British  

/ kənˌsɛʃəˈnɛə, kənˈsɛʃənə /

noun

1. someone who holds or operates a concession

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• subconcessioner
  noun
• subconcessionaire
  noun

Etymology

Origin of concessionaire

From the French word concessionnaire, dating back to 1860–65. See concession, -aire

Example Sentences

If visiting trails near Wrightwood, you might need a Big Pines parking pass, as many of those locations are managed by a concessionaire, Mountain High.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 29, 2025

In recent annual reviews, the National Park Service has slammed the concessionaire over poor facility upkeep, failure to complete maintenance projects and a lack of staff training.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 15, 2024

"The concessionaire is getting another 35 years to manage that railway, thus he also has another 35 years to amortize the unamortized assets. So why is he deducting that sum from the concession payment?"

From Reuters • Nov. 13, 2023

Gustavo Martinez, 56, said he lost his job as a concessionaire for spring-training baseball games during the early days of the pandemic, and he lost his subleased apartment a few months later.

From New York Times • Feb. 3, 2023

I reached up to give the concessionaire my money.

From "Warriors Don't Cry: A Searing Memoir of the Battle to Integrate Little Rock's Central High" by Melba Pattillo Beals