businessperson

American  

[biz-nis-pur-suhn] / ˈbɪz nɪsˌpɜr sən /

noun

businesspersons plural

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

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businessperson British  

/ ˈbɪznɪsˌpɜrsən /

noun

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

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Gender

Is it businessman, businesswoman, or businessperson? See -person.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• businesspersons
  plural

Etymology

Origin of businessperson

An Americanism dating back to 1970–75; business(man) + -person

Example Sentences

"In a lot of ways, he is just another businessperson asserting his rights," Ghosh said.

From BBC • May 18, 2026

When butcher Asser Levy died in Colonial New York, he had gone from penniless immigrant to successful businessperson by meeting the booming city’s food needs.

From MarketWatch • May 6, 2026

“My bet is that an opportunistic businessperson saw a trend, bought tons of capybara products from Chinese suppliers for very cheap and is selling them for a big profit.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 16, 2026

I didn’t want to have to become a businessperson, but that is what — without a sugar daddy or a trust fund, and outside the confines of academia — being an artist does to you.

From Salon • Nov. 12, 2024

“My family, friends, and neighbors are dying from hunger,” said Jawdat Khoudary, another Palestinian businessperson who helped organize some of the trucks involved in the Israeli relief initiative.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 2, 2024