enterprising

adjective

en·​ter·​pris·​ing ˈen-tər-ˌprī-ziŋ 

ˈen-tə-ˌprī-

: marked by an independent energetic spirit and by readiness to act

an enterprising young reporter

Synonyms

• aggressive
• ambitious
• assertive
• fierce
• go-getting
• high-pressure
• in-your-face
• militant
• pushy
• self-asserting
• self-assertive

Examples of enterprising in a Sentence

As an enterprising young reporter, she covered many important stories.

the company is claiming that there will be huge financial rewards for enterprising sales representatives

Recent Examples on the Web

More enterprising security teams escort clients to boats on the Hudson, hoping for passage. —Jim Dobson, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025

Still, more enterprising migrants might continue to the United States. —Peter D'abrosca, Fox News, 25 Mar. 2025

New York City has long attracted imaginative and enterprising types, not all of whom express their creativity in painting studios or onstage. —Françoise Mouly, The New Yorker, 10 Mar. 2025

This is before phones with cameras were ubiquitous at shows, but some enterprising fans still captured much of the set. —Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 1 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1601, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for enterprising

• advertising
• amortizing
• analyzing
• anodizing
• appetizing
• atomizing
• authorising
• authorizing
• carbonizing
• carburizing
• catalyzing
• centralising

Kids Definition

enterprising

adjective

en·​ter·​pris·​ing ˈent-ə(r)-ˌprī-ziŋ 

: bold, active, and energetic in undertaking or experimenting