entrepreneur

noun

en·​tre·​pre·​neur ˌän-trə-p(r)ə-ˈnər 

-ˈn(y)u̇r,

ˌäⁿn-

: one who organizes, manages, and assumes the risks of a business or enterprise

entrepreneurship

ˌän-trə-p(r)ə-ˈnər-ˌship

-ˈn(y)u̇r- 

ˌäⁿn-

noun

Did you know?

The Characteristics of an Entrepreneur

You might well wonder whether entrepreneur simply means “a person who starts a business and is willing to risk loss in order to make money” or whether it carries an additional connotation of far-sightedness and innovation. The answer, perhaps unsatisfyingly, is that it can go in either direction.

Entrepreneur has been used in English to refer to a kind of businessman since at least the middle of the 18th century, when it appeared in translation of the King of Prussia’s instructions for his generals (“. . . if the country happens not to abound in forage, you must agree with some Entrepreneur for the quantity required.”). During the 19th century, it was also used of a go-between or a person who undertakes any kind of activity (as opposed to just a business).

By the early 20th century entrepreneur appears to have taken on the connotation of go-getter when applied to an independent business owner, a quality that may also be found in the phrase entrepreneurial spirit, which began being used at about the same time.

Examples of entrepreneur in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

By challenging participants in ways that mimic the trials of the real world, these entrepreneurs will gain the tenacity to push through setbacks at the end of the program. —Daniel Fusch, USA TODAY, 13 Feb. 2025

Ayn Rand was a philosopher who understood that others get richer because entrepreneurs pursue profit. —John Stossel, Orange County Register, 13 Feb. 2025

Alexis Ohanian, the Reddit founder and tech entrepreneur who has been married to Williams since 2017, took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to educate the TV personality about the importance of his wife's symbolic actions. —Dan Perry, Newsweek, 13 Feb. 2025

The entrepreneur and real estate investor, who hails from a wealthy family, married the daughter of right-wing Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Ráhel, in 2013. —Katherine Love, Forbes, 13 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

French, from Old French, from entreprendre to undertake — more at enterprise

First Known Use

1762, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

entrepreneur

noun

en·​tre·​pre·​neur ˌän-trə-p(r)ə-ˈnər 

-ˈn(y)u̇r

: one who organizes, manages, and takes on the risks of a business or enterprise