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 businessman employed an array of shell companies and strawmen to sign documents on his behalf, and to stand in for him as operators of his companies, according to the affidavit.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 6, 2026

His argument is he was a broadcaster, influencer and businessman at this time and not a politician.

From BBC • Jul. 6, 2026

Her legal team described the businessman as a Russian-born exile and outspoken critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, arguing that Pitt’s claims amounted to an inaccurate and xenophobic attempt to discredit him.

From MarketWatch • Jul. 6, 2026

The billionaire businessman, in his fifties -- his exact age is unknown -- was arrested by the FBI in March 2023 in his luxury Manhattan apartment overlooking Central Park.

From Barron's • Jun. 30, 2026

Despite the case, he doesn’t really look like a businessman.

From "X: A Novel" by Ilyasah Shabazz