businessman
businessman
Pronunciation
businessman
IPA: /ˈbɪznɪsmæn/
Syllable Breakdown:
• biz-: /ˈbɪz/
• -nis-: /nɪs/
• -man: /mæn/
Word Form Variations
Singular: businessman
Plural: businessmen
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Noun
A person, typically a man, engaged in commercial or industrial enterprises, especially as an owner or executive.
Synonyms: entrepreneur, executive, magnate, merchant, trader, industrialist, capitalist
Antonyms: employee, worker, laborer (in some contexts, implying a distinction from ownership/management)
A person who conducts trade or commerce as their main occupation.
Synonyms: dealer, vendor, purveyor, proprietor, salesperson
Antonyms: customer, client, consumer
Examples of Use
Books: "He was a shrewd businessman, always looking for the next big investment opportunity." (From a review of Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr. by Ron Chernow, published October 1998)
Newspapers: "The local businessman donated a substantial sum to the community center's renovation project." (The Daily Herald)
Online Publications: "Elon Musk, the visionary businessman behind Tesla and SpaceX, continues to push the boundaries of innovation." (From a tech news article on The Verge)
Entertainment Mediums (Film): In the movie The Founder, Michael Keaton portrays Ray Kroc, a relentless businessman who built the McDonald's empire. (Film released January 2017)
Entertainment Platforms (Television Series): "The protagonist of the show is a ruthless businessman who stops at nothing to achieve his goals." (Description of a character in a popular Netflix drama series)
General Public Discourse: "My father always told me that to be a successful businessman, you need to understand your customers." (Heard in a casual conversation)
10 Quotes Using Businessman
"I'm not a businessman, I'm a business, man." (Jay-Z)
"The artist as businessman is uglier than the businessman as artist." (Ad Reinhardt)
"The most successful businessman is the man who holds onto the old just as long as it is good, and grabs the new just as soon as it is better." (Lee Iacocca)
"A vital difference between the professional man and a man of business is that money making to the professional man should, by virtue of his assumption, be incidental; to the businessman it is primary." (Frank Lloyd Wright)
"Nothing is illegal if one hundred businessmen decide to do it." (Andrew Young)
"If writers were good businessmen, they'd have too much sense to be writers." (Irvin S. Cobb)
"My father was funnier than me. My father was Richard Pryor-funny. I'm just a better businessman." (Tracy Morgan)
"Television represents what happens to a medium when the artists have no power and the businessmen are in full, unquestioned control." (Pauline Kael)
"The broader and more influential organisations of businessmen have acted to undermine the basic foundation of the free market system they purport to represent and defend." (Milton Friedman)
"A real businessman or entrepreneur has no enemies. Once he understands this, the sky's the limit." (Jack Ma)
Etymology
The word "businessman" is quite straightforward in its origin. It simply combines two existing English words: "business" and "man."
"Business" comes from the Old English word "bisignis," which meant "state of being busy" or "anxiety, care." Over time, its meaning evolved to refer to an occupation, a trade, or commercial activity.
"Man" comes from the Old English word "mann," referring to a human being, specifically an adult male.
So, when these two words were put together, "businessman" literally meant a "man of business" – someone whose main activity or occupation was in trade, commerce, or industry.
The first known use of "businessman" in this sense, referring to a person engaged in commercial pursuits, dates back to the early 18th century, specifically around 1707. Before this, similar ideas might have been expressed with phrases like "man of affairs" or simply "merchant." The emergence of "businessman" reflects a growing recognition and specific naming for individuals whose primary role was in the increasingly complex and organized world of commerce and industry.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Businessman
A shrewd businessman: Someone very clever and sharp in business dealings.
A natural-born businessman: Someone who seems to have an innate talent for business.
The heart of a businessman: To be focused on profit and practical outcomes.
A hard-nosed businessman: Someone tough and unsentimental in business.
Every businessman's dream: Something highly desirable in the business world.
A businessman's lunch: A quick, often working, lunch.
To think like a businessman: To approach problems with a focus on efficiency, profit, and strategy.
The mark of a true businessman: An indicator of effective business acumen.
To strike a deal like a seasoned businessman: To negotiate very effectively.
An entrepreneur's gamble: A risky but potentially rewarding business venture (using a synonym).
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of businessman from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
