landlord

landlord — noun

1. An individual or business that has the right to let out houses, flats, offices,

1.nounB1
Definition

An individual or business that has the right to let out houses, flats, offices, or land to other people in exchange for regular payments.

Example

Reema's landlord fixed the broken heater within two days of her phone call.

collocation: fixed the broken [appliance]

Before signing the lease, Christopher asked the landlord whether pets were allowed.

collocation: ask the landlord whether [condition]

Common collocations
  • pay the landlord
  • contact the landlord
  • landlord raised the rent
  • landlord fixed a [problem]
  • complain to the landlord
  • landlord's permission
Synonyms
  • property owner

    more general term — a property owner may not actively rent out the property

  • landowner

    focuses on land rather than buildings; often used for large rural holdings

  • lessor

    formal legal term used in contracts and law

Antonyms
  • tenant

    the person who rents from a landlord

  • renter

    common in American English for the person paying rent

Usage Note

Frequently used with a possessive (my landlord, their landlord). Can refer to both individuals and companies. The feminine form 'landlady' exists but is becoming less common; many speakers now use 'landlord' regardless of gender.

Common Mistakes

The landlord, who is the building's owner, came to fix the leak.
The landlord came to fix the leak.
the definition is already clear; avoid restating it redundantly.
My landlord asked me to landlord the apartment to someone else.
My landlord asked me to sublet the apartment to someone else.
'landlord' is a noun, not a verb.

2. The man who runs a pub, handling both daily operations and the overall managemen

2.nounB2
Definition

The man who runs a pub, handling both daily operations and the overall management of the establishment.

Example

The pub landlord greeted every regular customer by name at the door.

British English: pub landlord

Otis worked as a landlord at a countryside pub in Cornwall for twelve years.

Common collocations
  • pub landlord
  • landlord of a pub
  • landlord greeted customers
  • landlord served behind the bar
  • former landlord
Synonyms
  • publican

    the formal British term for a person who runs a pub

  • innkeeper

    old-fashioned term for someone who runs an inn that also serves food and drink

  • bar owner

    more general and less British in tone

Usage Note

Almost exclusively British English. In the UK, a pub landlord is also called a 'publican'. The role can involve both owning the business and managing day-to-day operations. The female equivalent is 'landlady', which is still commonly used in this context.

Common Mistakes

The landlord of the pub sold us drinks.
The pub landlord served us drinks at the bar.
'landlord' in this sense is about managing the establishment, not just selling drinks like any bartender.

Word family

  • landlady
    nounB2
  • landowner
    nounB2
  • landholding
    nounC1
  • landlordism
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four terms refer to someone who possesses real estate, but they differ in scope and formality. 'Landlord' implies an active rental relationship — the person not only owns but rents out a property to tenants, and often handles maintenance and lease terms. 'Property owner' is broader and more neutral; it includes anyone who holds title to a building or land, whether they rent it out or not. 'Landowner' typically describes someone who owns large areas of undeveloped land — farmland, forests, or rural estates — rather than urban rental units. 'Lessor' is a formal legal term used almost exclusively in written lease agreements to name the party granting the lease. For everyday conversation and most learner contexts, 'landlord' is the best choice when discussing rented housing. Example: 'My landlord emailed me about the rent increase' sounds natural, while 'My lessor emailed me' sounds like a contract clause.

landlord ↗property ownerlandownerlessor

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • landlord and tenant
  • landlord of the property
  • complain to the landlord
  • negotiate with the landlord

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishModern English

Formed from Old English 'land' (ground, territory) + 'hlāford' (master, ruler, lord). The compound literally meant 'master of the land' — a person who owned territory and had authority over the people living on it. The word originally referred to the owner of a landed estate in feudal England. By the 1500s, 'landlord' was also used for the keeper of an inn or public house, since innkeepers often owned the building or were granted the right to run it by the actual owner. The two modern meanings — property owner and pub manager — both descend from this original idea of authority over a place.