tycoon

noun

ty·​coon tī-ˈkün 

1

a

: a businessperson of exceptional wealth, power, and influence : magnate

b

: a top leader (as in politics)

2

: shogun

Synonyms

• baron
• captain
• czar
• tsar
• tzar
• king
• lion
• lord
• magnate
• mogul
• monarch
• Napoleon
• prince

Examples of tycoon in a Sentence

an oil tycoon who's widely considered the most powerful man in the county

Recent Examples on the Web

An arrogant advertiser at the peak of success is forced to promote a tycoon as a presidential candidate, while a mysterious stalker threatens to destroy his agency and his reputation. —Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 21 Jan. 2025

Harold Hamm: The oil tycoon—worth $18.5 billion—reportedly raised money for Trump, and has been involved in the transition, pushing to undo Biden-era electric car credits. —Joe Walsh, Forbes, 15 Jan. 2025

The Getty Villa, the museum built by oil tycoon J. Paul Getty and home to thousands of priceless antiquities, activated its emergency operations center in response to the fast-moving Palisades fire at 10:40 a.m. Tuesday. —Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 9 Jan. 2025

Now the late singer-songwriter, beloved performer and business tycoon is a bobblehead. —Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 7 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Japanese taikun

First Known Use

1857, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Kids Definition

tycoon

noun

ty·​coon tī-ˈkün 

: a very wealthy and powerful business person

Etymology

Japanese taikun "shogun"