noun · 8 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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Received-Pronunciation:/ˈpʌblɪk(ə)n/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
General-American:/ˈpʌblək(ə)n/
rhymes with -ʌblɪkən
1
noun
Meaning 1
The landlord (manager or owner) of a public house (“a bar or tavern, often also selling food and sometimes lodging; a pub”).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Ireland, UK
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Commonwealth, broadly
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: hotelier
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
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.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Ancient-Rome, historical
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
Any person who collects customs duties, taxes, tolls, or other forms of public revenue.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: archaic, broadly
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
noun
Meaning 5
One regarded as extorting money from others by charging high prices.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: archaic, figuratively
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
noun
Meaning 6
A person excommunicated from the church; an excommunicant or excommunicate; also, a person who does not follow a Christian religion; a heathen, a pagan.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: archaic, figuratively
Topics: Christianity
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
7
noun
Meaning 7
Synonym of Arnoldist.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: Arnoldist
Antonyms: none provided
8
noun
Meaning 8
the keeper of a public house
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
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.
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
Perhaps from Paulician.
Across languages
Translations
82 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
دِهْقَان
(dihqān)
— landlord of a public house
Arabic:
دُهْقَان
(duhqān)
— landlord of a public house
Arabic:
دِهْقَانَة
(dihqāna)
— landlord of a public house
Bulgarian:
кръчмар
(krǎčmar)
— landlord of a public house
Catalan:
cantiner
— landlord of a public house
Catalan:
taverner
— landlord of a public house
Catalan:
cantinera
— landlord of a public house
Catalan:
tavernera
— landlord of a public house
Czech:
hospodský
— landlord of a public house
Czech:
hospodská
— landlord of a public house
Dutch:
waard
— landlord of a public house
Finnish:
pubinpitäjä
— landlord of a public house
French:
patron de bistro
— landlord of a public house
French:
patronne de bistro
— landlord of a public house
French:
bistrot
— landlord of a public house
Old French:
oste
— landlord of a public house
Georgian:
მიკიტანი
(miḳiṭani)
— landlord of a public house
German:
Wirt
— landlord of a public house
German:
Schankwirt
— landlord of a public house
German:
Gastwirt
— landlord of a public house
German:
Kneipenwirt
— landlord of a public house
Irish:
óstóir
— landlord of a public house
Irish:
tábhairneoir
— landlord of a public house
Italian:
barista
— landlord of a public house
Italian:
bettoliere
— landlord of a public house
Italian:
oste
— landlord of a public house
Italian:
ostessa
— landlord of a public house
Italian:
taverniere
— landlord of a public house
Italian:
taverniera
— landlord of a public house
Macedonian:
крчмар
(krčmar)
— landlord of a public house
Macedonian:
крчмарка
(krčmarka)
— landlord of a public house
Polish:
karczmarz
— landlord of a public house
Polish:
karczmarka
— landlord of a public house
Polish:
oberżysta
— landlord of a public house
Polish:
oberżystka
— landlord of a public house
Polish:
szynkarz
— landlord of a public house
Polish:
szynkarka
— landlord of a public house
Polish:
austernik
— landlord of a public house
Russian:
каба́тчик
(kabátčik)
— landlord of a public house
Russian:
корчма́рь
(korčmárʹ)
— landlord of a public house
Russian:
шинка́рь
(šinkárʹ)
— landlord of a public house
Scottish Gaelic:
fear an taighe
— landlord of a public house
Swedish:
pubinnehavare
— landlord of a public house
Ottoman Turkish:
خانجی
(hancı)
— landlord of a public house
Welsh:
tafarnwr
— landlord of a public house
Welsh:
tafarnwraig
— landlord of a public house
Arabic:
عَشَّار
(ʕaššār)
— tax collector, especially one working in Judea and Galilee during New Testament times
Aramaic:
ܡܟܣܐ
— tax collector, especially one working in Judea and Galilee during New Testament times
Bulgarian:
публика́н
(publikán)
— tax collector, especially one working in Judea and Galilee during New Testament times
Catalan:
publicà
— tax collector, especially one working in Judea and Galilee during New Testament times
Chinese Cantonese:
稅吏 /税吏
(seoi3 lei6)
— tax collector, especially one working in Judea and Galilee during New Testament times
Chinese Mandarin:
稅吏 /税吏
(shuìlì)
— tax collector, especially one working in Judea and Galilee during New Testament times
Dutch:
publicanus
— tax collector, especially one working in Judea and Galilee during New Testament times
Dutch:
publikaan
— tax collector, especially one working in Judea and Galilee during New Testament times
Dutch:
tollenaar
— tax collector, especially one working in Judea and Galilee during New Testament times
Finnish:
publikaani
— tax collector, especially one working in Judea and Galilee during New Testament times
French:
publicain
— tax collector, especially one working in Judea and Galilee during New Testament times
Galician:
publicano
— tax collector, especially one working in Judea and Galilee during New Testament times
German:
Zöllner
— tax collector, especially one working in Judea and Galilee during New Testament times
Gothic:
𐌼𐍉𐍄𐌰𐍂𐌴𐌹𐍃
(mōtareis)
— tax collector, especially one working in Judea and Galilee during New Testament times
Ido:
publicano
— tax collector, especially one working in Judea and Galilee during New Testament times
Italian:
pubblicano
— tax collector, especially one working in Judea and Galilee during New Testament times
Latin:
publicanus
— tax collector, especially one working in Judea and Galilee during New Testament times
Lithuanian:
publikanai
— tax collector, especially one working in Judea and Galilee during New Testament times
Maltese:
pubblikan
— tax collector, especially one working in Judea and Galilee during New Testament times
Old Church Slavonic:
мꙑтарь
(mytarĭ)
— tax collector, especially one working in Judea and Galilee during New Testament times
Old Church Slavonic:
мꙑтоимьць
(mytoimĭcĭ)
— tax collector, especially one working in Judea and Galilee during New Testament times
Old Church Slavonic:
мьздоимьць
(mĭzdoimĭcĭ)
— tax collector, especially one working in Judea and Galilee during New Testament times
Polish:
publikanin
— tax collector, especially one working in Judea and Galilee during New Testament times
Portuguese:
publicano
— tax collector, especially one working in Judea and Galilee during New Testament times
Romanian:
publican
— tax collector, especially one working in Judea and Galilee during New Testament times
Russian:
мы́тарь
(mýtarʹ)
— tax collector, especially one working in Judea and Galilee during New Testament times
Serbo-Croatian:
публикани
— tax collector, especially one working in Judea and Galilee during New Testament times
Serbo-Croatian:
publikani
— tax collector, especially one working in Judea and Galilee during New Testament times
Slovene:
publikan
— tax collector, especially one working in Judea and Galilee during New Testament times
Spanish:
publicano
— tax collector, especially one working in Judea and Galilee during New Testament times
Swedish:
publikan
— tax collector, especially one working in Judea and Galilee during New Testament times
Tagalog:
publikano
— tax collector, especially one working in Judea and Galilee during New Testament times
Ukrainian:
публікани
(publikany)
— tax collector, especially one working in Judea and Galilee during New Testament times
Welsh:
publican
— tax collector, especially one working in Judea and Galilee during New Testament times
Finnish:
kiskuri
— one regarded as extorting money from others by charging high prices
Polish:
publikanin
— one regarded as extorting money from others by charging high prices
