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

The term is used to describe the children of actors, singers, models and entrepreneurs who often benefit due to the connections and power of their family name. —Sarah Sotoodeh, FOXNews.com, 3 Nov. 2025

Each child who learns becomes a future professional, entrepreneur, and contributor to national prosperity. —Obiageli Ezekwesili, semafor.com, 3 Nov. 2025

Following Bankman-Fried’s conviction, many crypto investors and entrepreneurs cheered the ruling, seeing the case as a black eye on an industry that was, at the time, struggling to shake its association with scam artists. —Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 3 Nov. 2025

Project partner John, whose clients have included Joel Kinnaman, Robert Davi, Wyclef Jean, Avicii, 50 Cent, Akon and Kelly Gale, came across The Match King while scoping out Swedish stories with international reach and following a conversation with Swedish serial entrepreneur Ash Pournouri. —Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 3 Nov. 2025

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