magnate

[mag-neyt, -nit]

noun

1. a person of great influence, importance, or standing in a particular enterprise, field of business, etc..

   a railroad magnate.

2. a person of eminence or distinction in any field.

   literary magnates.

3. a member of the former upper house in either the Polish or Hungarian parliament.

magnate

/ ˈmæɡneɪt, -nɪt /

noun

1. a person of power and rank in any sphere, esp in industry

2. history a great nobleman

3. (formerly) a member of the upper chamber in certain European parliaments, as in Hungary

Other Word Forms

• magnateship noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of magnate¹

1400–50; back formation from Middle English magnates (plural) < Late Latin magnātēs leading people, equivalent to Latin magn ( us ) magn- + -ātēs, plural of -ās noun suffix

Word History and Origins

Origin of magnate¹

C15: back formation from earlier magnates from Late Latin: great men, plural of magnās, from Latin magnus great

Example Sentences

Americans are well accustomed to ridiculously wealthy magnates assuming the same pose at their desks, or as Richard Branson did, on national TV.

From Salon

Business magnate and philanthropist Lord Swraj Paul has died at the age of 94.

From BBC

The British-born fashion magnate, 75, is leaving the role she has held longer than any other editor, but will retain senior positions at its publisher.

From BBC

The corporate magnate slowly turned into a health guru with a populist bent.

From Los Angeles Times

In the 1950s, the Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis — soon to be familiar on American shores as the second husband of Jacqueline Kennedy — supposedly declared that Long Beach was “the world’s most modern shipping port.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• aristocrat 
• capitalist 
• financier 
• merchant 
• mogul 
• tycoon