enterprising
adjective
en·ter·pris·ing
ˈen-tər-ˌprī-ziŋ 
ˈen-tə-ˌprī-
: marked by an independent energetic spirit and by readiness to act
an enterprising young reporter
Synonyms
Examples of enterprising in a Sentence
As an enterprising young reporter, she covered many important stories.
the company is claiming that there will be huge financial rewards for enterprising sales representatives
Recent Examples on the Web
In hindsight, Baron’s Post—enterprising, restrained, and deadly accurate—set the standard for news coverage of Trump’s Washington.
—
Nathan Heller, The New Yorker, 21 Nov. 2023
Within this square, any other enterprising dealers needed strict permission from the home crew to do business, and so no one forgot, painted almost everywhere in conspicuous, day-glo spray paint were the capital letters P.S.K.: the Park Side Killers.
—Jonathan Rowe and Chris Schwartz, SPIN, 2 Nov. 2023
In 1904, Oscar Micheaux, an enterprising Black man born in Illinois, began dreaming of getting land in South Dakota.
—Wil Haygood, Washington Post, 2 Nov. 2023
The construction of the Interstate Highway System in the 1950s created a grid across the flat Great Plains that allowed enterprising scientists to get out in front of storms and sometimes directly observe tornadoes.
—Carolyn Wilke, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Nov. 2023
In the film, the late actor, who died of an accidental overdose in July, plays an enterprising thug who robs a lottery winner in a bodega at gunpoint on Christmas Eve with the hopes of getting his hands on $156 million.
—Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 6 Oct. 2023
But thanks largely to the efforts of Stefano Marca, the enterprising local owner of the Blumonbreak Hotel, Gaver’s slopes now attract thousands of ski tourers on winter weekends.
—WIRED, 18 Sep. 2023
Even the more playful dishes, like tater tots dusted with chaat masala, feel like those clever snacks devised in a pinch by an enterprising home cook.
—Melissa Clark, New York Times, 18 Sep. 2023
The enterprising owner mated the 450-hp powertrain—a notable upgrade over the stock Renault V-6's measly 130 ponies—to a Porsche six-speed manual and fitted his creation with four-piston Brembo brakes and KW coil-over suspension.
—Caleb Miller, Car and Driver, 22 Aug. 2023
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Nathan Heller, The New Yorker, 21 Nov. 2023
Within this square, any other enterprising dealers needed strict permission from the home crew to do business, and so no one forgot, painted almost everywhere in conspicuous, day-glo spray paint were the capital letters P.S.K.: the Park Side Killers.
—Jonathan Rowe and Chris Schwartz, SPIN, 2 Nov. 2023
In 1904, Oscar Micheaux, an enterprising Black man born in Illinois, began dreaming of getting land in South Dakota.
—Wil Haygood, Washington Post, 2 Nov. 2023
The construction of the Interstate Highway System in the 1950s created a grid across the flat Great Plains that allowed enterprising scientists to get out in front of storms and sometimes directly observe tornadoes.
—Carolyn Wilke, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Nov. 2023
In the film, the late actor, who died of an accidental overdose in July, plays an enterprising thug who robs a lottery winner in a bodega at gunpoint on Christmas Eve with the hopes of getting his hands on $156 million.
—Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 6 Oct. 2023
But thanks largely to the efforts of Stefano Marca, the enterprising local owner of the Blumonbreak Hotel, Gaver’s slopes now attract thousands of ski tourers on winter weekends.
—WIRED, 18 Sep. 2023
Even the more playful dishes, like tater tots dusted with chaat masala, feel like those clever snacks devised in a pinch by an enterprising home cook.
—Melissa Clark, New York Times, 18 Sep. 2023
The enterprising owner mated the 450-hp powertrain—a notable upgrade over the stock Renault V-6's measly 130 ponies—to a Porsche six-speed manual and fitted his creation with four-piston Brembo brakes and KW coil-over suspension.
—Caleb Miller, Car and Driver, 22 Aug. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'enterprising.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1601, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near enterprising
Cite this Entry
“Enterprising.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/enterprising. Accessed 10 Dec. 2023.
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Kids Definition
enterprising
adjective
en·ter·pris·ing
ˈent-ə(r)-ˌprī-ziŋ
: bold, active, and energetic in undertaking or experimenting
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