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Synonyms

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.


businessman British  
/ ˈbɪznɪsˌmæn, -mən /

noun

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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

Etymology

Origin of businessman

First recorded in 1705–15; business + man

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

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

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