robber baron

noun

1
: an American capitalist of the latter part of the 19th century who became wealthy through exploitation (as of natural resources, governmental influence, or low wage scales)
2
: a business owner or executive who acquires wealth through ethically questionable tactics

Examples of robber baron in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Some may argue that today’s tech companies are more of a threat to the world than the 1890s robber barons. Jamie Merisotis, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025 Were robber barons exploiting workers and hoarding profits, or were wage-earners sharing in the bounty created by a growing economy? Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 15 Aug. 2025 But everyone's favorite robber baron came out on top with a few new enemies, one of whom arranges for him to be shot at the end of Episode 7. Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 11 Aug. 2025 A lot of his robber barons, towards the end of their careers, started worrying about their lives and how they would be remembered. Lynette Rice, Deadline, 10 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for robber baron

Word History

First Known Use

1878, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of robber baron was in 1878

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Cite this Entry

“Robber baron.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/robber%20baron. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.

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