capitalist

1 of 2

noun

cap·​i·​tal·​ist ˈka-pə-tə-list 

ˈkap-tə-

1

: a person who has capital especially invested in business

industrial capitalists

broadly : a person of wealth : plutocrat

Charitable organizations often seek help from capitalists.

2

: a person who favors capitalism

capitalist

2 of 2

adjective

variants or capitalistic

ˌka-pə-tə-ˈli-stik 

ˌkap-tə-

1

: owning capital

the capitalist class

2

a

: practicing or advocating capitalism

capitalist nations

b

: marked by capitalism

capitalist period of history

capitalistically

ˌka-pə-tə-ˈli-sti-k(ə-)lē 

ˌkap-tə-

adverb

Synonyms

Noun

• have
• plutocrat
• money
• magnate
• moneybags
• billionaire

Examples of capitalist in a Sentence

Noun

capitalists who lost everything in the '29 Crash

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Now, however, Silicon Valley venture capitalists, futurists, East Coast entrepreneurs, and pronatalists — who fear falling birth rates pose an existential threat to the human race — are eager to push the technology forward. —Rob Stein, NPR, 6 Aug. 2025

Nic Carter, a crypto venture capitalist, then coined the term Operation Choke Point 2.0, referring to an Obama administration clandestine operation to debank undesirable industries including firearms dealers and payday lenders in the early 2010s. —Billy Bambrough, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2025

Adjective

But unfortunately that is the religion for most people in a capitalist world. —Mackenzie Cummings-Grady, Billboard, 7 Aug. 2025

This perspective overlooks how capitalist employers purposely recruit undocumented immigrants to avoid following laws regarding the minimum wage and overtime pay, while too often stealing immigrant workers’ wages and placing them in hazardous work conditions. —Chinyere Osuji, Baltimore Sun, 5 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

probably borrowed from French capitaliste "person possessing capital," from capital capital entry 2 + -iste -ist entry 1

Adjective

capital entry 2 + -ist entry 2, after capitalist entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

1774, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1845, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing capitalist

• pre-capitalist

Kids Definition

capitalist

noun

cap·​i·​tal·​ist

ˈkap-ət-ᵊl-əst,

ˈkap-tᵊl-

1

: a person who has capital and especially business capital

2

: a person who supports capitalism