What does "publican" mean?
The landlord (manager or owner) of a public house (“a bar or tavern, often also selling food and sometimes lodging; a pub”).
Publican
/ˈpʌblɪk(ə)n/ noun
noun ·Uncommon ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The landlord (manager or owner) of a public house (“a bar or tavern, often also selling food and sometimes lodging; a pub”).
- Grammar: publican is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: tavern keeper, assessor, barkeep, barkeeper.
- Useful contrasts: customer, guest, taxpayer.
- Usage evidence: I went into a public-'ouse to get a pint o' beer, / The publican 'e up an 'sez, 'We serve no red-coats here.'
How to use "publican"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "publican" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "publican" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "publican" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "publican" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "publican" is acting as noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "tavern keeper" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
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Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "publican", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The landlord (manager or owner) of a public house (“a bar or tavern, often also selling food and sometimes lodging; a pub”). Ireland, UK
"I went into a public-'ouse to get a pint o' beer, / The publican 'e up an 'sez, 'We serve no red-coats here.'"
- 2 A tax collector, especially one working in Judea and Galilee during New Testament times (1st century C.E.) who was generally regarded as sinful for extorting more tax than was due, and as a traitor for serving the Roman Empire. Ancient-Rome, historical
"Matthevv vvhiche vvas other vvyſe alſo called Leui, beyng of a Puplican made an Apoſtle, firſt of all others compoſed and vvrote in Jevvrye, the ghoſpell of Chriſte in the Hebrue tounge, […]"
- 3 Synonym of Arnoldist.
- 4 the keeper of a public house wordnet
- 5 The manager or owner of a hotel. Commonwealth, broadly
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 Any person who collects customs duties, taxes, tolls, or other forms of public revenue. archaic, broadly
"Another ſort there be vvho vvhen they hear that all things ſhall be order'd, all things regulated and ſetl'd; nothing vvritt'n but vvhat paſſes through the cuſtom-houſe of certain Publicans that have the tunaging and the poundaging of all free ſpok'n truth, vvill ſtrait give themſelvs up into your hands, mak 'em, & cut 'em out vvhat religion ye pleaſe; […]"
- 7 One regarded as extorting money from others by charging high prices. archaic, figuratively
- 8 A person excommunicated from the church; an excommunicant or excommunicate; also, a person who does not follow a Christian religion; a heathen, a pagan. archaic, figuratively
Example
"I went into a public-'ouse to get a pint o' beer, / The publican 'e up an 'sez, 'We serve no red-coats here.'"
Common questions
What is a synonym for "publican"?
Common synonyms include: tavern keeper, assessor, barkeep, barkeeper, barmaid, barman.
How do you use "publican" in a sentence?
I went into a public-'ouse to get a pint o' beer, / The publican 'e up an 'sez, 'We serve no red-coats here.'
How do you pronounce "publican"?
Pronounced /ˈpʌblɪk(ə)n/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
Probably from public house (“(Britain) bar or tavern, often also selling food and sometimes lodging, pub”) or public (“open to all members of a community”) + -an (suffix forming agent nouns), apparently originally used humorously.
Etymology 2
From Middle English publican [and other forms], from Anglo-Norman publican, pupplican, Middle French publicain, and Old French publican, publicain, pupplican (“tax collector”) (modern French publicain), and from their etymon Latin pūblicānus (“tax collector”), from pūblicum (“state revenue”) + -ānus (suffix meaning ‘of or pertaining to’, usually indicating relationships of origin, position, or possession). Pūblicum is a noun use of the neuter form of pūblicus (“of or belonging to the people, state, or community; general, public”), ultimately from Proto-Italic *poplos (“army”). Sense 3.2 (“person excommunicated from the church; person who does not follow a Christian religion”) refers to Matthew 18:17 of the Bible: see the King James Version quotation under sense 1. Cognates * Catalan publicà * Italian pubblicano * Middle Dutch publicaen, puppilicaen, pupplicaen (modern Dutch publicaan (obsolete), publikaan) * Middle High German publicān, publicāne (early modern German Publican). * Middle Low German pūblicān * Old Occitan publican, puplican * Portuguese publicano * Spanish publicano
Etymology 3
Perhaps from Paulician.