robber baron

American  

noun

1. History/Historical. a noble who robbed travelers passing through his lands.

2. a ruthlessly powerful U.S. capitalist or industrialist of the late 19th century considered to have become wealthy by exploiting natural resources, corrupting legislators, or other unethical means.

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Etymology

Origin of robber baron

First recorded in 1875–80

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

robber baron

Government and private money are flowing in quantities that would make a Gilded Age robber baron blush.

From MarketWatch ● Dec. 23, 2025

Jay Gould, a robber baron of the late 19th century who helped build the U.S. railroad network system, funded deals partly with wealth accumulated through his Wall Street gambles.

From New York Times ● May 20, 2022

Gates became interested in immunizations in the late 1990s, when Microsoft was facing an antitrust case that cast him as a modern-day robber baron.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 23, 2020

Back in the days before SATs and admissions scandals, that school was founded and funded by John D. Rockefeller, the classic robber baron of Standard Oil.

From Salon ● Apr. 19, 2019

What strikes me from her account is the robber baron period after the fall of the Berlin Wall and the hurt that still exists.

From Definition & Reality in the General Theory of Political Economy by Colignatus, Thomas