entrepreneur

[ ahn-truh-pruh-nur, -noor; French ahn-truh-pruh-nœr ]

noun

, plural en·tre·pre·neurs [ahn-tr, uh, -pr, uh, -, nurz, -, noorz, ah, n, -t, r, uh, -p, r, uh, -, nœr].

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

/ 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

entrepreneur

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

Derived Forms

• ˌentrepreˈneurship, noun
• ˌentrepreˈneurial, adjective

Other Words From

• en·tre·pre·neur·i·al adjective
• en·tre·pre·neur·ship noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of entrepreneur¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of entrepreneur¹

C19: from French, from entreprendre to undertake; see enterprise

Example Sentences

Four Points is intentionally offering incentives that lower startup costs for local entrepreneurs.

From Fortune

That paints a picture of a city that’s successfully pushing medium-sized companies to great heights but is struggling to get minority entrepreneurs to the starting line in the first place.

From Ozy

Indeed, most of the entrepreneurs I’ve met over the years aimed at just this kind of success.

From Fortune

You can’t blame the social media companies for this, they are entrepreneurs too, and their profit depends on the money you take away from them when your post reaches too far.

From Search Engine Watch

Instead of releasing the model for everyone to use, it has only granted beta access to a select few—a mix of entrepreneurs, researchers, and public figures in the tech world.

From Nautilus

Malaysian-based entrepreneur Tony Fernandes has turned AirAsia into the most successful low cost airline in southeast Asia.

From The Daily Beast

The Virologist By Andrew Marantz, New Yorker How a young entrepreneur built an empire by repackaging memes.

From The Daily Beast

The feisty airline is the brainchild of entrepreneur Tony Fernandes, a Malaysian of Indian descent who also is a British citizen.

From The Daily Beast

Beck is in the same position as any post-industrial capitalist entrepreneur.

From The Daily Beast

Internet media entrepreneur Nick Denton is a person to whom harsh judgments adhere like barnacles.

From The Daily Beast

Indeed, the entrepreneur sometimes finds it to his advantage to give his employees even more than strict justice would demand.

From Project Gutenberg

The successful entrepreneur for instance draws a rent of ability from his superior equipment and education.

From Project Gutenberg

The managing entrepreneur knows better, when he deals with union rules and walking delegates.

From Project Gutenberg

We shall term it the function of the entrepreneur, using this term in an unusually strict way.

From Project Gutenberg

The entrepreneur in his capacity of buyer and seller does not even do the work which purchases and sales involve.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• administrator
• contractor
• executive
• manager
• producer