tycoon
Americannoun
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a person of great wealth, influence, or power; magnate.
a business tycoon; a political tycoon.
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(often initial capital letter) a title used with reference to the shogun of Japan.
noun
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a business man of great wealth and power
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an archaic name for a shogun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of tycoon
1855–60; < Japanese taikun < Middle Chinese, equivalent to Chinese dà great + jūn prince
Explanation
If you are meeting with someone who is considered a tycoon in his industry, keep in mind that he is very successful and probably accustomed to high-stakes negotiations. Tycoon is derived from the Japanese word taikun, which means “great lord or prince.” This noun made its way to the West in the mid-19th century and originally referred to the shogun, or military leader, of Japan. It was also used in reference to Abraham Lincoln to indicate that he was an important man. Now, tycoons are generally understood to be unusually successful heads of business or industry.
Vocabulary lists containing tycoon
Outliers
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This Week In Words: August 30–September 4, 2020
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From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
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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.
In an article published on Substack, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, for many years Russia’s top oil tycoon and now a leading opposition figure, explained why the damage to the refining industry is so severe.
From MarketWatch • Jul. 7, 2026
The former property tycoon fled China to the US in 2017, where he reinvented himself as a Communist Party critic and built a loyal online following.
From BBC • Jun. 30, 2026
A federal judge on Monday sentenced China critic and tycoon Guo Wengui to 30 years in prison for racketeering and fraud, and ordered forfeiture of $889 million associated with his activities.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 29, 2026
Even if the president is only loosely familiar with Hildebrand, the oil tycoon is someone you should know about.
From Salon • Jun. 24, 2026
I don’t mean to suggest, of course, that every software tycoon in Silicon Valley was born in 1955.
From "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell
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.
