proprietorial en · ADJ
Etymology
Etymology tree English proprietor Proto-Indo-European *h₂el- Proto-Indo-European *-is Proto-Indo-European *h₂élisder.? Proto-Italic *-ālis Latin -ālisder. Old French -ialder. Middle English -ial English -ial English proprietorial From proprietor + -ial.
Meanings
- Of or pertaining to ownership.
-
Characteristic of or behaving like a proprietor or owner (of a thing); possessive.
A superficially handsome young fellow had his arm round her, and he barred my way and told me something in proprietorial Flemish.
2004, David Mitchell, Cloud Atlas, London: Sceptre (Hodder and Stoughton), →ISBN, page 483:“I'm pretty sure he did, Felix.” There was a proprietorial note in Rose's voice, to which I objected.
2006, Elizabeth Buchan, Wives Behaving Badly, →ISBN:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| most proprietorial | Degree=Sup | lexicographic | |
| more proprietorial | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic |
Deriveds
proprietorial borough · proprietorially