enterprising
Americanadjective
-
ready to undertake projects of importance or difficulty, or untried schemes; energetic in carrying out any undertaking.
Business is in need of enterprising young people.
- Synonyms:
- adventurous, resourceful, venturesome, venturous
-
characterized by great imagination or initiative.
an enterprising foreign policy.
adjective
Related Words
See ambitious.
Other Word Forms
- enterprisingly adverb
- nonenterprising adjective
- unenterprising adjective
- unenterprisingly adverb
Etymology
Origin of enterprising
First recorded in 1565–75; enterprise + -ing 2
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.
And they must seem intelligent without actually being enterprising enough to stand out from the crowd of near-identical films.
From Salon • Mar. 29, 2026
Trains pulled in every 15 or 20 minutes, as many as the endlessly enterprising operators of Ukraine's railway network could find in the sidings and marshalling yards.
From BBC • Feb. 24, 2026
Despite Inter's enterprising start it was Atletico who took the lead, with Alvarez drilling home from close range when the ball deflected nicely for him.
From Barron's • Nov. 26, 2025
Jordan Firstman plays Charlie, an enterprising celebrity stylist.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 24, 2025
Apparently inspired by the black wave, some enterprising rebel commander came up with the idea of confiscating people’s abandoned automobiles and sending them unmanned down the streets.
From "Mockingjay" by Suzanne Collins
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.
