magnate

noun

mag·​nate ˈmag-ˌnāt How to pronounce magnate (audio)
-nət
: a person of rank, power, influence, or distinction often in a specified area
a railroad magnate

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Another historical account written in May 1955 by Nancy Oldani says the auto magnate constructed a massive boat house for his yacht and built a home for a groundskeeper on his 600-acre estate. Kristen Jordan Shamus, Freep.com, 31 Aug. 2025 Bought by the Wrigley family in 1958, Wychwood was built in 1902 for Charles Hutchinson, a banking magnate and founder of the Art Institute of Chicago. Amy Bizzarri, Chicago Tribune, 26 Aug. 2025 Christie’s, a rival of Sotheby’s since the seventeen-sixties, has been owned by François Pinault, a French luxury-goods magnate and prolific art collector, for the past quarter century. Sam Knight, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2025 That work has received funding from likeminded political advocacy or pro-Israel groups, but also from Nashville area auto magnate and Republican mega donor Lee Beaman. Liam Adams, The Tennessean, 21 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for magnate

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of magnate was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Magnate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/magnate. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

magnate

noun
mag·​nate ˈmag-ˌnāt How to pronounce magnate (audio)
-nət
: a person of rank, power, or influence (as in an industry)

More from Merriam-Webster on magnate

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