entrepreneur

noun

en·​tre·​pre·​neur ˌän-trə-p(r)ə-ˈnər How to pronounce entrepreneur (audio)
-ˈn(y)u̇r,
ˌäⁿn-
: one who organizes, manages, and assumes the risks of a business or enterprise
entrepreneurship
ˌän-trə-p(r)ə-ˈnər-ˌship
-ˈn(y)u̇r- How to pronounce entrepreneur (audio)
ˌäⁿn-
noun

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The Characteristics of an Entrepreneur

You might well wonder whether entrepreneur simply means “a person who starts a business and is willing to risk loss in order to make money” or whether it carries an additional connotation of far-sightedness and innovation. The answer, perhaps unsatisfyingly, is that it can go in either direction.

Entrepreneur has been used in English to refer to a kind of businessman since at least the middle of the 18th century, when it appeared in translation of the King of Prussia’s instructions for his generals (“. . . if the country happens not to abound in forage, you must agree with some Entrepreneur for the quantity required.”). During the 19th century, it was also used of a go-between or a person who undertakes any kind of activity (as opposed to just a business).

By the early 20th century entrepreneur appears to have taken on the connotation of go-getter when applied to an independent business owner, a quality that may also be found in the phrase entrepreneurial spirit, which began being used at about the same time.

Examples of entrepreneur in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Despite official indications that China's yearslong anti-monopoly and data security crackdowns on technology companies have ended, entrepreneurs are jittery. Dake Kang and Elaine Kurtenbach, Quartz, 4 Mar. 2024 Blake Lively had a pinch-me moment as an entrepreneur. Charlotte Phillipp, Peoplemag, 4 Mar. 2024 My parents were entrepreneurs, not a big surprise there. Jane Thier, Fortune, 3 Mar. 2024 And not just small side hustles, as many savvy entrepreneurs are making serious money with their mobile devices. Goldie Chan, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2024 Grocery-Store Famous: The natural foods entrepreneur Bob Moore, of Bob’s Red Mill, hit upon a distinctively American style that matched the homey packaging of his products. Kate Dwyer, New York Times, 2 Mar. 2024 Musk’s lawsuit is filed against OpenAI and two of its executives, CEO Sam Altman and president Greg Brockman, both of whom worked with the rocket and car entrepreneur to found the company in 2015. Will Knight, WIRED, 1 Mar. 2024 Our guide was an Inuvialuit-Gwich'in hunter-gatherer and tourism entrepreneur named Kylik Kisoun Taylor. Sophy Roberts, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Feb. 2024 There's the Goddess Marketplace — a space for women entrepreneurs to sell their wares, from food and clothing to jewelry and candles. Nushrat Rahman, Detroit Free Press, 29 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'entrepreneur.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

French, from Old French, from entreprendre to undertake — more at enterprise

First Known Use

1762, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of entrepreneur was in 1762

Dictionary Entries Near entrepreneur

Cite this Entry

“Entrepreneur.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/entrepreneur. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

entrepreneur

noun
en·​tre·​pre·​neur ˌän-trə-p(r)ə-ˈnər How to pronounce entrepreneur (audio)
-ˈn(y)u̇r
: one who organizes, manages, and takes on the risks of a business or enterprise
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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