entrepreneur

noun

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

-ˈn(y)u̇r, 

ˌäⁿn-

: the organizer of a business venture

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

The program helped young entrepreneurs get their business licenses …

—Melanie Nguyen

entrepreneurship

ˌän-trə-p(r)ə-ˈnər-ˌship, 

-ˈn(y)u̇r- 

ˌäⁿn-

noun

… his first successful forays into entrepreneurship.

—Kara Swisher

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

While entrepreneurs want to do right by their workers and offer robust health benefits, they are often forced to make painful choices about wages, benefits and business growth as premiums skyrocket each year. —Bianca Blomquist, Mercury News, 18 Feb. 2026

The event had been organized by a man named Wolf Tivy, the founder of a futurist magazine rumored to be funded by the libertarian entrepreneur Peter Thiel. —James Duesterberg, New Yorker, 18 Feb. 2026

The main goal was to teach the budding entrepreneurs how to attract customers, communicate well and sell their items. —Janice Neumann, Chicago Tribune, 18 Feb. 2026

With a community that exceeds 14 million followers on Instagram, Ojeda has built a solid career as a content creator, entrepreneur and lifestyle figure, gaining popularity thanks to her collaborations with brands, photo shoots and personal projects linked to fashion and wellness. —Nadia Cantú, AZCentral.com, 18 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1762, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for entrepreneur

• restaurateur
• amateur
• connoisseur
• kieselguhr
• monseigneur
• procureur
• retransfer
• saboteur
• silencer
• voyageur
• birr
• blur

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