dealership

American  

[dee-ler-ship] / ˈdi lərˌʃɪp /

noun

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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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

Around the same time, Stellantis came up with a new rule prohibiting dealers from acquiring more than one dealership in a rolling 12-month period, according to a memo viewed by the Journal.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 18, 2026

Carvana processes a million cars a year versus a used car dealership that may have 200 on the lot.

From Barron's • May 13, 2026

How much they’re saving: When Li’s electric Audi was getting serviced recently, he had to use a loaner car from the dealership to go on a weekend trip to San Diego.

From MarketWatch • May 6, 2026

He said he came to that focus when he took riding lessons last year at a Harley dealership in Texas.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 5, 2026

Fires sprang up amid the ruined buildings, converged, and raced toward Howard’s dealership, consuming four city blocks per hour.

From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand