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Synonyms

entrepreneur

American  
[ahn-truh-pruh-nur, -noor, ahn-truh-pruh-nœr] / ˌɑn trə prəˈnɜr, -ˈnʊər, ɑ̃ trə prəˈnœr /

noun

plural

entrepreneurs

  1. a person who organizes and manages any enterprise, especially a business, usually with considerable initiative and risk.

  2. an employer of productive labor; contractor.

verb (used with object)

  1. to deal with or initiate as an entrepreneur.

verb (used without object)

  1. to act as an entrepreneur.

entrepreneur British  
/ ˌɒntrəprəˈnɜː, ɑ̃trəprənœr /

noun

  1. the owner or manager of a business enterprise who, by risk and initiative, attempts to make profits

  2. a middleman or commercial intermediary

"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
entrepreneur Cultural  

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

Other Word Forms

  • entrepreneurial adjective
  • entrepreneurship noun

Etymology

Origin of entrepreneur

First recorded in 1875–80; from French: literally, “one who undertakes (some task),” equivalent to entrepren(dre) “to undertake” (from Latin inter- inter- + prendere “to take,” variant of prehendere ) + -eur -eur; enterprise

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.

More than 30 years before Elon Musk unveiled the Tesla Model X, another entrepreneur sought to shake up the auto world with a futuristic vehicle whose doors opened like a bird’s wings.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026

It’s the first release in a new model series developed by Meta Superintelligence Labs, the division overseen by billionaire entrepreneur Alexandr Wang, who came onboard in June 2025.

From Barron's • Apr. 8, 2026

A British Bitcoin entrepreneur has told the BBC he is not the digital currency's mysterious inventor after a New York Times article named him as its creator.

From BBC • Apr. 8, 2026

Before launching TBPN, Coogan was an entrepreneur in residence at Founders Fund, Peter Thiel’s venture firm.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 3, 2026

I was visiting Amado Ramirez Leyva, the entrepreneur behind the tortilla store.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann

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.