robber baron

noun

1

: an American capitalist of the latter part of the 19th century who became wealthy through exploitation (as of natural resources, governmental influence, or low wage scales)

2

: a business owner or executive who acquires wealth through ethically questionable tactics

Examples of robber baron in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

But there’s also a playbook for the robber barons to get and consolidate power. —Frank Digiacomo, Billboard, 11 Nov. 2025

This is what our nation’s robber barons consider a sound investment? —Anne Victoria Clark, Vulture, 29 Oct. 2025

In September, Spector appeared in a Mamdani ad channeling his robber baron character from HBO’s The Gilded Age to perform a dramatic reading of a New York Times story about how the rich in the Hamptons are reacting to the Democratic nominee. —Peter Kiefer, HollywoodReporter, 23 Oct. 2025

The robber barons and telecom wildcatters borrowed to build their empires, and dragged their financiers down with them when the music stopped. —Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 23 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1878, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for robber baron

• barren