innkeeper

noun

inn·​keep·​er ˈin-ˌkē-pər How to pronounce innkeeper (audio)
Synonyms of innkeepernext
1
: a proprietor of an inn
2
: hotelman

Synonyms of innkeeper

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of innkeeper in a Sentence

the innkeeper was a very genial, accommodating host
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The show-within-a-show stars Valerie as Beth, an innkeeper at a bed and breakfast. — Chris Murphy, Vanity Fair, 20 Mar. 2026 Daily walks run 7 to 13 miles, bags are transferred inn to inn, and innkeepers prepare specialty evening meals. — Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 4 June 2026 Her great-grandparents, innkeepers in modern-day Belarus, were massacred by the Nazis along with most of their town. — Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 18 June 2026 And thanks to a new crop of boutique hotels in the area, there’s no shortage of places to stay, where innkeepers go above and beyond to make your experience feel like something special. — Jessica Sulima, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for innkeeper

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of innkeeper was in the 15th century

Rhymes for innkeeper

See All Rhymes for innkeeper

Browse Nearby Words

Innisfil
innkeeper
innless
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Innkeeper.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/innkeeper. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

innkeeper

noun
inn·​keep·​er ˈin-ˌkē-pər How to pronounce innkeeper (audio)
: the person who runs an inn

More from Merriam-Webster on innkeeper

Nglish: Translation of innkeeper for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

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

Commonly Misspelled Words

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

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
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 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?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All