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Synonyms

capitalist

American  
[kap-i-tl-ist] / ˈkæp ɪ tl ɪst /

noun

  1. a person who has capital, especially extensive capital, invested in business enterprises.

  2. an advocate of capitalism.

  3. a very wealthy person.


capitalist British  
/ ˈkæpɪtəlɪst /

noun

  1. a person who owns capital, esp capital invested in a business

  2. politics a supporter of capitalism

  3. informal a rich person

"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

adjective

  1. of or relating to capital, capitalists, or capitalism

"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

Other Word Forms

  • anticapitalist noun
  • capitalistic adjective
  • noncapitalist noun
  • precapitalist noun
  • procapitalist noun

Etymology

Origin of capitalist

First recorded in 1785–95; capital 1 + -ist

Explanation

Someone who hopes to profit by investing money or financing business ventures is a capitalist. A nation's economy is described as capitalist if it's based on private ownership and profit. The word capitalist appeared in 1791, taken from the French word capitaliste. A capitalist is someone who believes in the economic philosophy of Capitalism, a system of privately-owned, for-profit businesses. A capitalist might believe in free enterprise and the individual’s ability to gain wealth through intelligence and hard work. Capitalist can also be used to describe a self-interested, every-man-for-himself approach to the world.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing capitalist

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.

Venture capitalist Marc Andreessen famously said in 2011 External link that software is eating the world.

From Barron's • Apr. 10, 2026

He was nearly wiped out but got back on his financial footing when a venture capitalist asked him in 1986 to be chairman of the board, with stock options, of a new company called Magellan.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026

Venture capitalist David Sacks’ company, Craft Ventures, also announced in December that it has opened a new satellite office in Austin.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 23, 2026

“What a comeback,” Sarah Guo, a venture capitalist, posted on X, one of the many celebrating Kalanick’s return.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 22, 2026

De Soto was a novel figure: half warrior, half venture capitalist.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann