entrepreneur
noun
Melanie Nguyen Kara Swisher
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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
Chicago Tribune, 3 May 2026
That’s precisely what sets solopreneurs apart from entrepreneurs.
—Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 3 May 2026
Additionally, entrepreneurs get to share their values through their businesses and invest in their local communities.
—Medora Lee, USA Today, 3 May 2026
In the case of Sanlorenzo, the builder has just opened a new showroom in the center of London, meaning budding entrepreneurs can walk in off Mayfair’s Park Lane and sit down with a specialist to discuss buying their first yacht.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 2 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for entrepreneur
Cite this Entry
“Entrepreneur.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/entrepreneur. Accessed 5 May. 2026.
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entrepreneur
noun
