proprietorship
noun
pro·pri·e·tor·ship
prə-ˈprī-ə-tər-ˌship
plural proprietorships
1
: the state or fact of being a proprietor : ownership
proprietorship of a medical product
proprietorship of a copyright
English proprietorship of Dunkirk was brief, because four years later King Charles II sold the port to France for ready cash—five million livres.—Niger Calder
2
: something (such as a business) owned by a proprietor
Hispanic residents are filling the economic niche of mom-and-pop operations and other small proprietorships …—Raymond Hernandez
especially
: sole proprietorship
3
history
: ownership of a colony (such as one of the original American colonies) that includes full prerogatives of establishing a government and distributing land
Six of the colonies that eventually would form the nation were either founded or came under English rule during that period: New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania (including Delaware), and North and South Carolina. All were proprietorships: that is, like Maryland they were granted in their entirety to one man or a group of men, who both held title to the soil and controlled the government. Charles II gave these vast American holdings as rewards to the men who had supported him during his years of exile.—Mary Beth Norton et al.
Cite this Entry
“Proprietorship.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/proprietorship. Accessed 31 Mar. 2025.
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