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

Etymology

Origin of businessman

First recorded in 1705–15; business + man

Example Sentences

The businessman was due to return to the commission in March, but this was postponed after saying he was too ill to appear.

From BBC • May 30, 2026

In the aforementioned poll, minister and housing activist Rae Huang had 9% and former educational technology businessman Adam Miller had 5%.

From Los Angeles Times • May 30, 2026

A US businessman and Republican congressional candidate told AFP Friday he discussed business opportunities with the grandson of former Cuban president Raul Castro in Havana at a critical time for US-Cuba relations.

From Barron's • May 29, 2026

At the time of his death, the 71-year-old businessman was worth an estimated $4.5 billion.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 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