entrepreneur
noun
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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
Josh Dawsey, Washington Post, 15 July 2024
This is not an entirely fair assessment: Simmons was an activist and fitness entrepreneur who first became famous in the 1970s, when his Los Angeles gym Slimmons became a safe space for those who fell outside the Hollywood aesthetic norms.
—Ej Dickson, Rolling Stone, 15 July 2024
Indian entrepreneurs created their own versions of TikTok, but failed to get much of an audience.
—Stephanie Yang, Los Angeles Times, 11 July 2024
Plus, entrepreneurs Alexis Borisy and Zach Weinberg call in to discuss their biotech incubator Curie.
—Allison Deangelis , Adam Feuerstein, STAT, 11 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for entrepreneur 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'entrepreneur.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Entrepreneur.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/entrepreneur. Accessed 24 Jul. 2024.
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entrepreneur
noun
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