proprietress
Americannoun
-
a woman who owns a business establishment.
-
a woman who has the exclusive right or title to something.
Gender
See -ess.
Etymology
Origin of proprietress
First recorded in 1685–95; propriet(o)r + -ess
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.
In counterpoint to the expanding mystery, much of which revolves around a seedy bar named the Birdhouse, is Graham’s cautious courting of the proprietress of a popular bakery.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026
It’s what’s for dinner in Juzo Itami’s delightful 1985 comedy about the proprietress of a rundown roadside noodle shop.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 30, 2022
The cast is undeniably B-list, and genre conventions cling to their roles like barnacles: the world-weary but wise cafe proprietress, the hooker with a heart of gold.
From New York Times • Nov. 17, 2020
Allan said Theatre’s turned out to be an Irish pub, with wonderful food and a lovely proprietress who was very kind to the awkward young American.
From Washington Post • Oct. 15, 2019
The proprietress was a smiling mamasanta, tormented by a mania for opening and closing doors.
From "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
