publican
Americannoun
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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
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.
“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
The petition, started by a West Midlands publican who voted Conservative at July's general election, has now gathered over 2.7m signatures.
From BBC • Nov. 27, 2024
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
Los talleres de BGS son gratuitos y se publican en redes sociales o en su sitio web.
From Seattle Times • Feb. 23, 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
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.
