businessman

American  

[biz-nis-man] / ˈbɪz nɪsˌmæn /

noun

businessmen plural

1. a man regularly employed in business, especially a white-collar worker, executive, or owner.

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businessman British  

/ ˈbɪznɪsˌmæn, -mən /

noun

1. a person, esp a man, engaged in commercial or industrial business, esp as an owner or executive

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Usage

There is a gender-neutral form, businessperson , but it does not appear to be very widely used. The plural business people is quite widely used, and if you wish to avoid being gender-specific, you could try recasting your sentence to use the plural

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• businessmen
  plural

Etymology

Origin of businessman

First recorded in 1705–15; business + man

Example Sentences

The Stoli Group is controlled by billionaire businessman Yuri Shefler, who was born in Russia and is now based in Switzerland.

From MarketWatch • Jul. 6, 2026

After retirement, he worked as a coach, broadcaster and businessman.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 2, 2026

It was not immediately known whether the businessman had made any statements in the courtroom.

From BBC • Jul. 1, 2026

"We are doing this with our bare hands," said the 54-year-old businessman.

From Barron's • Jun. 28, 2026

She combines the brains of a businessman, the toughness of a prize fighter, the warmth of a companion, the humor of a tragedian.

From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck