businessman

American  

[biz-nis-man] / ˈbɪz nɪsˌmæn /

noun

businessmen plural

1. a man regularly employed in business, especially a white-collar worker, executive, or owner.

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businessman British  

/ ˈbɪznɪsˌmæn, -mən /

noun

1. a person, esp a man, engaged in commercial or industrial business, esp as an owner or executive

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Usage

There is a gender-neutral form, businessperson , but it does not appear to be very widely used. The plural business people is quite widely used, and if you wish to avoid being gender-specific, you could try recasting your sentence to use the plural

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• businessmen
  plural

Etymology

Origin of businessman

First recorded in 1705–15; business + man

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

businessman businessmen

The Aberdeen-based businessman and philanthropist Sir Ian Wood has died aged 84, his family has announced.

From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026

In Foynes village across the estuary from the refinery, where a port handles its exports, local businessman John Cassels said the dilemma was clear.

From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026

They officially appeared together at an event the following year, where Chey said he had come to see himself as a coldhearted businessman with zero sympathy.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026

American businessman Bezos, founder of e-commerce giant Amazon, is the fourth-richest person in the world.

From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026

Founded by Sam Adams, its members included John Hancock, a businessman and a smuggler, and two doctors, Benjamin Church and Joseph Warren.

From "George Washington, Spymaster" by Thomas B. Allen

The two often present, especially in court documents, as simple businessmen just trying to make money.

From Salon ● Jul. 20, 2026

She regularly meets with American bankers and businessmen, portraying herself as a champion for foreign investment.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026

While Epstein was best known for his connections to businessmen and politicians, he cultivated a circle of top academics that helped launder his reputation until his arrest in 2019.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 17, 2026

Kaseya said that African businessmen would be meeting in Lagos on 29 May to "raise additional funds", while international partners such as the US, UK, European Union and World Bank are also "committing funds".

From BBC ● May 25, 2026

“Get you a railroad” and “Get you a cotton mill” was what big businessmen in Atlanta advised any town that wanted to grow.

From "Cold Sassy Tree" by Olive Ann Burns