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

See Examples For:

dealership dealerships

Jimmy Eat World’s Adkins, Burch, drummer Zach Lind and guitarist Tom Linton earned recording money between tours by working construction, driving around car dealership customers and selling art supplies and auto parts.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026

Penske Corp. paired up with the Japanese investment firm to offer $210 a share to take the auto dealership chain private.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026

The U.S.’s move to ban future Polestar cars may have also given the company cover to exit amid a difficult business climate, said Alan Haig of Haig Partners, a dealership M&A firm.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026

José was a pillar of his community; he rose from washing cars to owning his own car dealership, alongside other businesses in Bakersfield.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 25, 2026

The sales director of the Flemington Nissan dealership in the central New Jersey town of Flemington is a man named Bob Golomb.

From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell

Tolman founder Chris Tolman says what Priestley is learning sets him apart from apprentices in mainstream car dealerships, who, due to digital tools, are increasingly becoming "just fitters".

From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026

The Polestar spokesman said it isn’t terminating dealerships and that it values its dealers and is working with them to “manage this transition.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026

The EV incentives will take effect in the coming weeks as the California Air Resources Board irons out agreements with dealerships.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 3, 2026

Bloomberg Philanthropies is launching a $90 million program that includes a partnership with Ford, which needs more mechanics at its dealerships.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 8, 2026

Seeing my puzzlement, Miss Love whispered, “Your grandfather’s got his name on two dealerships: Pierce and Cadillac! What do you think of that?”

From "Cold Sassy Tree" by Olive Ann Burns