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
Dileep Rao, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024
Several entrepreneurs questioned by Fortune said the election will have little impact on their businesses.
—Luisa Beltran, Fortune, 4 Nov. 2024
The Canadian entrepreneur champions the potency of visualization, and has tailored a section of her platform, called Writing Activations, to helping subscribers carve out their dream life.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024
Others, like the former L.S.U. standout Angel Reese, have pitched themselves as entrepreneurs.
—Louisa Thomas, The New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Entrepreneur.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/entrepreneur. Accessed 12 Nov. 2024.
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entrepreneur
noun
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