shopkeeper
gb/ʃˈɑpkˌipɚ/ us/ʃˈɑpkˌipɚ/
B1
English
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B1
role
1
person who owns or runs a shop
A shopkeeper is the person who owns or runs a shop.
Usage pattern:
the shopkeeper (of [shop]) / a shopkeeper in [place]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use shopkeeper to mean any shop employee; in modern English it usually means the owner or person in charge (an employee is more often a shop assistant or sales clerk).
Synonyms
store owner (Common modern synonym, especially in American English.)
|
retailer (More business-like; focuses on selling to the public.)
|
merchant (Slightly more formal or old-fashioned; can imply trade more broadly.)
Antonyms
customer (The person who buys from the shopkeeper.)
Collocations
local shopkeeper
|independent shopkeeper
|village shopkeeper
|corner shopkeeper
|small shopkeeper
|the shopkeeper's wife
|the shopkeeper's son/daughter
|ask the shopkeeper
|the friendly shopkeeper
|a retired shopkeeper
Themes
shopping
|business
|work
|daily_life
Examples
- The shopkeeper greeted us and asked if we needed help finding anything.
- A local shopkeeper complained that online shopping was hurting business.
- The shopkeeper closed early because of the storm.
Learner examples
- The shopkeeper sells bread and milk.
- I paid the shopkeeper at the counter.
Grammar
Dictionary form
shopkeeper
IPA
GB/ʃˈɑpkˌipɚ/
US/ʃˈɑpkˌipɚ/
Syllables & stress
shop - keep - er (3 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (shop)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: shopkeeper
- Plural: shopkeepers
Expressions
shopkeeper's privilege
1/ʃˈɑpkˌipɚz pɹˈɪvɪlɪd͡ʒ/
fixed phrase
legal
right to detain suspected shoplifter
In some laws, a shop can briefly hold a person suspected of stealing while checking what happened.
Examples
- The store manager said the staff acted under shopkeeper's privilege when they detained the suspect until police arrived.
- The lawsuit argued that shopkeeper's privilege did not apply because the customer was held for too long.