dueña

Dueña is a feminine noun in Spanish meaning a female owner or mistress—someone who possesses or runs property, a business, or an animal. It is the feminine form of dueño and is used to indicate the woman who is in charge, for example, la dueña de la casa or la dueña del local. The term can also be used in a figurative sense to denote someone who exerts control or influence, as in ser la dueña de la situación.

Etymology: The word comes from Latin dominus, meaning master or owner, through the development of the Spanish masculine dueño and its feminine form dueña. The gendered pair is standard in Spanish lexicon: dueño (masculine) and dueña (feminine).

Usage: In everyday language, dueña is common to refer to a female proprietor or head of a household. In formal or neutral contexts, words like propietaria or propietario are also used to emphasize ownership or property rights. The term is widely used across the Spanish-speaking world, including Spain and Latin America.

Notes: The masculine counterpart is dueño; the plural for women is dueñas, and for men dueños. The phrase "la dueña" can carry connotations of authority or ownership, but it is not inherently pejorative.