magnate

noun

mag·​nate ˈmag-ˌnāt 

-nət

: a person of rank, power, influence, or distinction often in a specified area

a railroad magnate

Synonyms of magnate

• tycoon
• baron
• king

Examples of magnate in a Sentence

a studio magnate who had the biggest stars in Hollywood at his beck and call

Recent Examples on the Web

The jewels date back to Sofía’s 1962 wedding to the future King Juan Carlos, with the wider suite gifted by Greek shipping magnate Stavros Niarchos and the matching earrings reportedly presented by her mother, Queen Frederica of Greece. — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 28 Oct. 2026

The tour takes guests through the Gilded Age mansion, built in 1904 for furniture magnate Amos Rhodes. — Madeline Montgomery, CBS News, 28 Oct. 2026

Alongside the 30- and 40-something financiers, lawyers, and soon-to-be-IPOing AI magnates are their parents. — Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 28 Oct. 2026

Bottled water magnate Zhong Shanshan fell to second place with $61 billion, down 23%, while Robin Zeng, chairman of CATL, the world’s largest maker of batteries for electric vehicles, came third, Hurun said. — ABC News, 27 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English magnates, plural, from Late Latin, from Latin magnus

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for magnate

• magnet
• electromagnet
• ferromagnet

Kids Definition

magnate

noun

mag·​nate ˈmag-ˌnāt 

-nət

: a person of rank, power, or influence (as in an industry)