boniface

noun

bon·​i·​face ˈbä-nə-fəs How to pronounce boniface (audio)
-ˌfās
Synonyms of bonifacenext
: the proprietor of a hotel, nightclub, or restaurant

Synonyms

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of boniface in a Sentence

the operator of the inn is the very epitome of the genial and gracious boniface

Word History

Etymology

Boniface, innkeeper in The Beaux' Stratagem (1707) by George Farquhar

First Known Use

1742, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of boniface was in 1742

Rhymes for boniface

See All Rhymes for boniface

Browse Nearby Words

bonies
boniface
Boniface
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Theme music by Joshua Stamper ©2006 New Jerusalem Music/ASCAP

Cite this Entry

“Boniface.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/boniface. Accessed 27 Mar. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

Biographical Definition

Boniface 1 of 2

biographical name (1)

Bon·​i·​face ˈbä-nə-fəs How to pronounce Boniface (audio)
-ˌfās
Saint circa 675–754 Wynfrid or Wynfrith English missionary in Germany

Boniface

2 of 2

biographical name (2)

name of 9 popes: especially VIII (Benedict Caetani) circa 1235(or 1240)–1303 (pope 1294–1303)
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Words You Always Have to Look Up

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Top 10 Sophisticated Insults

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

More Words with Remarkable Origins

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Top 10 Sophisticated Insults

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
dog-in-disguise
Rhyme Disguise Quiz Pair up words that look different but sound alike.
See All