magnate

[ mag-neyt, -nit ]

/ ˈmæg neɪt, -nɪt /

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noun

a person of great influence, importance, or standing in a particular enterprise, field of business, etc.: a railroad magnate.

a person of eminence or distinction in any field: literary magnates.

a member of the former upper house in either the Polish or Hungarian parliament.

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Origin of magnate

1400–50; back formation from Middle English magnates (plural) <Late Latin magnātēs leading people, equivalent to Latin magn(us) magn- + -ātēs, plural of -ās noun suffix

OTHER WORDS FROM magnate

mag·nate·ship, noun

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH magnate

magnate , magnet

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use magnate in a sentence

Like the old industrial magnates, they want to control everything.
How a Few Monster Tech Firms are Taking Over Everything from Media to Space Travel and What it Means for the Rest of Us|Joel Kotkin|February 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The stunt startles the Order/oil magnates who recognize how such electricity would threaten their businesses.
NBC’s ‘Dracula’ Sure Is Sexy, But It Isn’t Scary|Kevin Fallon|October 25, 2013|DAILY BEAST
But I'll tell you one thing about such an America: It wouldn't have any time-share magnates.
Why is David Siegel so Mad?|David Frum|October 10, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Samaras and I palled around a bit, especially with the son of a New York lawyer who did work for Greek shipping magnates.
Antonis Samaras: New Greek Prime Minister and Predecessor Share College Ties|Jim Warren|June 19, 2012|DAILY BEAST

Presidential hopeful Herman Cain is just one of many pizza magnates who favor the GOP in politics—and donations.
Why Do Republicans Love Pizza?|David A. Graham|September 26, 2011|DAILY BEAST
Peremptorily the steel magnates refused to continue the sliding scale previously agreed upon as a guarantee of peace.
Prison Memoirs of an Anarchist|Alexander Berkman
Like every other English governor, Drury complained of the number of idle men retained by territorial magnates.
Ireland Under the Tudors, Vol. II (of 3)|Richard Bagwell
Flicks got a couple of the Ready-Made magnates fighting for admission, said Tootles, ignoring her criticism.
The Woman Gives|Owen Johnson
This filled up the cup of endurance of the magnates of the city.
German Culture Past and Present|Ernest Belfort Bax
The local magnates—with the exception of Sir Gerald Geoghegan, whose temper had been bad from the first—also went home content.
Hyacinth|George A. Birmingham

British Dictionary definitions for magnate

magnate

/ (ˈmæɡneɪt, -nɪt) /

noun

a person of power and rank in any sphere, esp in industry

history a great nobleman

(formerly) a member of the upper chamber in certain European parliaments, as in Hungary

Derived forms of magnate

magnateship, noun

Word Origin for magnate

C15: back formation from earlier magnates from Late Latin: great men, plural of magnās, from Latin magnus great

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

magnate

Origin of magnate

OTHER WORDS FROM magnate

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH magnate

Words related to magnate

How to use magnate in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for magnate

Derived forms of magnate

Word Origin for magnate