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Synonyms

tycoon

American  
[tahy-koon] / taɪˈkun /

noun

  1. a person of great wealth, influence, or power; magnate.

    a business tycoon; a political tycoon.

  2. (often initial capital letter) a title used with reference to the shogun of Japan.

tycoon British  
/ taɪˈkuːn /

noun

  1. a business man of great wealth and power

  2. an archaic name for a shogun

"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
tycoon Cultural  

  1. Someone who has made a fortune in business, such as Cornelius Vanderbilt.

Etymology

Origin of tycoon

1855–60; < Japanese taikun < Middle Chinese, equivalent to Chinese dà great + jūn prince

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.

Clement did indeed mention the man then known as a real estate tycoon and reality-TV host, however.

From Salon • Apr. 4, 2026

A federal jury in California found Friday that tech tycoon Elon Musk misled Twitter shareholders, driving down the company's share price as he was poised to buy it in a $44 billion deal.

From Barron's • Mar. 21, 2026

He’s an amoral tycoon who would enslave an entire country to make a buck.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 10, 2026

Archer has formed a partnership with a real-estate tycoon to develop an air-taxi network in South Florida, and it will serve as the official air-taxi provider for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 9, 2026

The next shot showed the famous real estate tycoon Heath Huxley chuckling, “Thanks for doing our digging, kids.”

From "The Smartest Kid in the Universe" by Chris Grabenstein

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.