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definitions

entrepreneur

[ ahn-truh-pruh-nur, -noo r; French ahn-truh-pruh-nœr ]
/ ˌɑn trə prəˈnɜr, -ˈnʊər; French ɑ̃ trə prəˈnœr /
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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR entrepreneur ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural en·tre·pre·neurs [ahn-truh-pruh-nurz, -noo rz; French ahn-truh-pruh-nœr] /ˌɑn trə prəˈnɜrz, -ˈnʊərz; French ɑ̃ trə prəˈnœr/.

a person who organizes and manages any enterprise, especially a business, usually with considerable initiative and risk.
an employer of productive labor; contractor.

verb (used with object)

to deal with or initiate as an entrepreneur.

verb (used without object)

to act as an entrepreneur.

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RELATED WORDS

manager, executive, administrator, producer, contractor, undertaker, founder, backer, businessperson, promoter, industrialist, organizer

Nearby words

  1. entrelac,
  2. entremets,
  3. entrench,
  4. entrenchment,
  5. entrepot,
  6. entrepreneurial,
  7. entrepreneurship,
  8. entrepôt,
  9. entresol,
  10. entropic

Origin of entrepreneur

1875–80; < French: literally, one who undertakes (some task), equivalent to entrepren(dre) to undertake (< Latin inter- inter- + prendere to take, variant of prehendere) + -eur -eur. See enterprise
Related forms
Can be confusedentrepreneur intrapreneur
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for entrepreneur

British Dictionary definitions for entrepreneur

entrepreneur

/ (ˌɒntrəprəˈnɜː, French ɑ̃trəprənœr) /

noun

the owner or manager of a business enterprise who, by risk and initiative, attempts to make profits
a middleman or commercial intermediary
Derived Formsentrepreneurial, adjectiveentrepreneurship, noun

Word Origin for entrepreneur

C19: from French, from entreprendre to undertake; see enterprise
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
Word Origin and History for entrepreneur

entrepreneur

n.

1828, "manager or promoter of a theatrical production," reborrowing of French entrepreneur "one who undertakes or manages," agent noun from Old French entreprendre "undertake" (see enterprise). The word first crossed the Channel late 15c. but did not stay. Meaning "business manager" is from 1852. Related: Entrepreneurship.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Culture definitions for entrepreneur

entrepreneur

[ (ahn-truh-pruh-nur, ahn-truh-pruh-noor) ]

One who starts a business or other venture that promises economic gain but that also entails risks.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.