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freeholder

American  
[free-hohl-der] / ˈfriˌhoʊl dər /

noun

  1. the owner of a freehold.

  2. (in some U.S. counties) a registered voter who owns local property and has been a local resident for a specified length of time.


freeholder British  
/ ˈfriːˌhəʊldə /

noun

  1. property law a person in possession of a freehold building or estate in land

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of freeholder

1325–75; Middle English freholder ( see free, holder); translation of Anglo-French fraunc tenaunt ( see frank 1, tenant)

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The government has said it expects the limit on ground rents - an annual fee paid by leaseholders to their freeholder - to come into force in late 2028.

From BBC • May 26, 2026

It says it's "expected to be available in 2029"- which means, from that date, flat owners will purchase their home and the building and land beneath it, rather than it being owned by a freeholder.

From BBC • May 13, 2026

There are around five million leasehold homes in England and Wales, where people own the right to occupy a property via a lease for a limited number of years from a freeholder.

From BBC • Mar. 3, 2026

It includes capping ground rents - an annual fee leaseholders must pay to their freeholder - at £250 a year.

From BBC • Mar. 3, 2026

It does not matter whether he worked as a wage earner, tenant or freeholder, in the end the result would be the same.

From The Planters of Colonial Virginia by Wertenbaker, Thomas Jefferson

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