publican
Americannoun
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publicans
plural
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Chiefly British. a person who owns or manages a tavern; the keeper of a pub.
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Roman History. a person who collected public taxes.
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any collector of taxes, tolls, tribute, or the like.
noun
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(in Britain) a person who keeps a public house
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(in ancient Rome) a public contractor, esp one who farmed the taxes of a province
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of publican
First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English word from Latin word pūblicānus. See public, -an
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.
See Examples For:
“Some people thought it was a bit petulant,” said Dave Burns, a hotelier and publican in Christchurch who helped launch the campaign.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 19, 2026
Belfast publican William Jack and entertainer Peter Corry also receive honours.
From BBC ● Jun. 16, 2023
Pell was born on June 8, 1941, the eldest of three children to a heavyweight champion boxer and publican also named George Pell, an Anglican.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 10, 2023
Everyone else in and around the nearby village is also played by Kinnear, including a young boy, a pompous vicar, a policeman, a publican and the naked man who appears outside the living room window.
From New York Times ● May 19, 2022
A fat red-faced man in check breeches and gaiters, who looked like a publican, was stroking her nose and feeding her with sugar.
From "Animal Farm: A Fairy Story" by George Orwell
In another personal post, Burnham pulls a pint while unveiling measures to help publicans.
From Barron's ● Aug. 16, 2026
Like prime ministers, Phil has seen four long-term publicans oversee his work.
From BBC ● May 10, 2025
Mr McDowall said that if it is removed, small publicans will see their business rates bill quadruple from April.
From BBC ● Oct. 24, 2024
The most profitable enterprise for these new Roman entrepreneurs was acting as bankers and public contractors, or publicans.
From Textbooks ● Apr. 19, 2023
Among weak and ignorant disciples, among sick and sorrowful petitioners for help and relief, among publicans and sinners, among Pharisees and Sadducees, He was always one and the same.—kind and patient to all.
From Practical Religion Being Plain Papers on the Daily Duties, Experience, Dangers, and Privileges of Professing Christians by John Charles Ryle
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.
