A proprietor is someone who owns and runs a business. The word comes from the same root as “property,” and it means the person who has legal ownership of a store, restaurant, hotel, or other enterprise.

When you walk into a family-owned bookshop and meet the person who bought the building, chose all the books, hired the staff, and makes the final decisions, you're meeting the proprietor. A proprietor might sweep the floors one minute and negotiate with suppliers the next, because the business belongs to them. They take all the risks: if the business succeeds, they profit; if it fails, they lose their investment.

The word carries a sense of pride and responsibility. A hotel proprietor cares about every detail because their name and reputation are on the line. You might see “proprietor” on old-fashioned signs, like “John Smith, Proprietor” above a shop door.

Related words include proprietorship (ownership of a business) and proprietary (belonging exclusively to an owner). When someone has a proprietary attitude about something, they act like they own it, whether they actually own it or not.