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

"Zhang Xue has brought glory to China, so I want to support him," said Hu Zhaomeng, picking up his gleaming red 500 model from a Chongqing dealership.

From Barron's ● Aug. 9, 2026

But one roadblock consumers may face is a lack of EVs in the dealership lot.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026

The two investors offered $210 a share to take the auto dealership chain private and already own nearly 73% of its stock.

From The Wall Street Journal ● 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

He’d gotten the position through his childhood baseball coach, Alan Williams, who worked as a salesman at the dealership.

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel

Some dealerships offered lease deals for EVs with monthly payments of less than $100.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 8, 2026

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 model eventually reached dealerships in 2024, when enthusiasm for electric vehicles was already waning.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026

This corner of southwestern Idaho is unrelentingly poor and plain, with vast stretches of empty roads and treeless farmland, intersected by equally vast swatches of fast-food franchises and car dealerships.

From "Geeks: How Two Lost Boys Rode the Internet Out of Idaho" by Jon Katz