magnate

noun

mag·​nate ˈmag-ˌnāt How to pronounce magnate (audio)
-nət
: a person of rank, power, influence, or distinction often in a specified area
a railroad magnate

Examples of magnate in a Sentence

a studio magnate who had the biggest stars in Hollywood at his beck and call
Recent Examples on the Web Convenience store magnate Bill Kent purchased the remaining acreage along with the houses, airport, golf course, tennis courts, 11,000-square-foot dog kennel, and other improvements in November 2022. Katie Hill, Outdoor Life, 7 Mar. 2024 People posit several reasons, namely that tech magnates are interested in supporting other issues like health care and that Hollywood moguls are more skittish about parting with their fortunes, given their firsthand experience with the ups and downs of the entertainment industry. Soumya Karlamangla, New York Times, 1 Mar. 2024 According to the investigation conducted over two years, Chao requested that staffers edit her father, shipping magnate James Chao's Wikipedia page, as well as to help promote his biography and send her family Christmas ornaments. Jessica Sager, Peoplemag, 28 Feb. 2024 Few people have more riding on the 2024 presidential election than tech magnate Elon Musk. David Ingram, NBC News, 28 Feb. 2024 Its first president was Alexander Mitchell, one of Milwaukee's most powerful pioneer business magnates. Tom Daykin, Journal Sentinel, 25 Jan. 2024 Merchant is the daughter of wealthy business magnate Viren Merchant, who is CEO of pharma company Encore Healthcare Private Limited. Virginia Chamlee, Peoplemag, 29 Feb. 2024 In fact, the shoe magnate’s hotel is an entirely new, ground-up design. Lawrence Ulrich, Robb Report, 20 Feb. 2024 Among the prominent brides Ms. Hickey served there were the television host Jane Pauley and three daughters of the auto magnate William Clay Ford. Alex Williams, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'magnate.' 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

Middle English magnates, plural, from Late Latin, from Latin magnus

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

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

Dictionary Entries Near magnate

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

magnate

noun
mag·​nate ˈmag-ˌnāt How to pronounce magnate (audio)
-nət
: a person of rank, power, or influence (as in an industry)

More from Merriam-Webster on magnate

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