businessman

noun

busi·​ness·​man ˈbiz-nəs-ˌman How to pronounce businessman (audio)
-nəz-, 
-mən
Synonyms of businessmannext
: a man who transacts business
especially : a business executive

Examples of businessman in a Sentence

I know it's hard for him to sell his paintings. He's always been a better artist than businessman.
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.
One former businessman carried a two-dollar bill in his wallet as a good-luck charm to attract prosperity and wealth. — Jieun Baek, Foreign Affairs, 30 Oct. 2026 Los Angeles businessman and engineer Dennis Tito was the world’s first space tourist in April 2001, reportedly paying $20 million to fly aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft and visit the International Space Station. — Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2026 For North American Blue Energy Partners, an oil company partly owned by the US government and led by the controversial Venezuelan businessman Alejandro Betancourt, production is ramping up. — Eugenia Perozo, semafor.com, 29 Oct. 2026 Democrats are trying to flip the governorship as Democratic former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms faces Republican businessman Rick Jackson in a race both parties see as competitive. — ABC News, 28 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for businessman

Word History

First Known Use

1803, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of businessman was in 1803

Rhymes for businessman

See All Rhymes for businessman

Browse Nearby Words

business machine
businessman
businessman's risk
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Businessman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/businessman. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

businessman

noun
busi·​ness·​man ˈbiz-nə-ˌsman How to pronounce businessman (audio)
-nəz-ˌman
: a man in business especially as an owner or manager

More from Merriam-Webster on businessman

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for businessman

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of Pyrrhic

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Pwn, Skibidi, Girlboss and Other Words Added to the 2026 Scrabble Dictionary

The Words of the Week - Oct. 30

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
couple-laugh-cafe
Quiz: Foreign Phrases You Should Know Check out your bona fides and avoid any faux pas.
See All