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
Restaurateurs, publicans and shop owners in Skegness, Lincolnshire, say business is down significantly this summer.
From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026
Ms Elliott said the event brings brewers, publicans and their customers together in the city, and helps to "keep the industry going through challenging economic times".
From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2023
The most profitable enterprise for these new Roman entrepreneurs was acting as bankers and public contractors, or publicans.
From Textbooks ● Apr. 19, 2023
"Bears and lions," said a proverb, "might be the fiercest wild beasts in the forests; but publicans and informers were the worst in cities."
From Joel: A Boy of Galilee by Annie F. (Annie Fellows) Johnston
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
