entrepreneurial

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adjective

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

-ˈn(y)u̇r-, 

ˌäⁿn-

: having to do with the creation and development of economic ventures : of, relating to, characteristic of, or suited to an entrepreneur

entrepreneurial skills/ambitions/projects

entrepreneurial zeal

With your colleagues and the kids out of the way, what do you buy for that spouse or friend who's gone the entrepreneurial route and is working at home?

—Don Crabb

Harvard Business School, long known as a gateway to corporate America, last October established a beachhead in the nation's entrepreneurial epicenter, California's Silicon Valley.

—Marc Ballon

… economic development is more likely to occur (if at all) in the more entrepreneurial southern region.

—Sarah Searight

also : engaged or interested in the development of economic ventures

an ambitious and entrepreneurial young woman

a company founded by a group of entrepreneurial scientists

entrepreneurialism

ˌäⁿn-trə-p(r)ə-ˈnər-ē-ə-li-zəm 

-ˈn(y)u̇r-, 

ˌäⁿn-

noun

The map shows the distribution of high-tech manufacturing firms in the southeastern United States …, helping to identify towns and cities that are lodestones of high-tech entrepreneurialism.

—John Tierney

entrepreneurially

ˌäⁿn-trə-p(r)ə-ˈnər-ē-ə-lē 

-ˈn(y)u̇r-, 

ˌäⁿn-

adverb

… some 25 teams, drawn mostly from the ranks of universities and entrepreneurially minded engineers …

—Joseph Hooper

entrepreneurialism

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noun

en·​tre·​pre·​neur·​i·​al·​ism ¦än‧trəp(r)ə¦nər‧ēəˌlizəm 

-n(y)u̇r- also -nə̄r-

: the policies, practices, or attitudes of an entrepreneur

With the exception of raw materials, the location of industries is determined not by fixed advantage (either absolute or comparative) but by public policy or private entrepreneurialism.

—Michael Lind, Prospect, January 2003

Examples of entrepreneurial in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The first half focuses on the early entrepreneurial years, deftly incorporating archival footage with the usual talking heads. — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 11 Oct. 2026

Buyers and sellers flocked to specialty card shops and shows, where scores of entrepreneurial dealers hawked vintage and modern products. — Bob Woods, CNBC, 10 Oct. 2026

While the entrepreneurial spirit helped Little Mexico succeed, business was only part of what made el barrio special. — Alexis Guerrero, CBS News, 8 Oct. 2026

Their entrepreneurial spirit and commitment to getting great independent films made is incredibly exciting. — Jack Dunn, Variety, 7 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

entrepreneurial + -ism

First Known Use

Adjective

1890, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for entrepreneurial

• seigneurial