capitalist
Americannoun
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a person who has capital, especially extensive capital, invested in business enterprises.
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an advocate of capitalism.
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a very wealthy person.
noun
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a person who owns capital, esp capital invested in a business
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politics a supporter of capitalism
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informal a rich person
adjective
Other Word Forms
- anticapitalist noun
- capitalistic adjective
- noncapitalist noun
- precapitalist noun
- procapitalist noun
Etymology
Origin of capitalist
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.
Vocabulary lists containing capitalist
East Asia - Middle School
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East Asia - High School
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Russia - Middle School and High School
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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.
Some big names expected at the event are venture capitalist Tim Draper, motivational speaker Tony Robbins, boxer Mike Tyson and fund manager Cathie Wood.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 23, 2026
“Beef” links the potential liabilities women face by locking into long-term relationships to the realities of the capitalist trap, which draws women into not only unpaid housework but uncompensated emotional labor, too.
From Salon • Apr. 23, 2026
Our twisted version of a capitalist guardian angel, patron saint of spandex in a cropped matching set.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2026
Venture capitalist Marc Andreessen famously said in 2011 External link that software is eating the world.
From Barron's • Apr. 10, 2026
“Never thought I’d hear something like that coming from a dyed-in-the-wool capitalist like you!”
From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
