tycoon

noun

ty·​coon tī-ˈkün How to pronounce tycoon (audio)
1
a
: a businessperson of exceptional wealth, power, and influence : magnate
b
: a top leader (as in politics)
2
: shogun

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Not dabblers in the slave trade, tycoons of the slave trade. Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025 Quirky, outspoken, and utterly Floridian, Irvin is as much Vero Beach as the latest tycoon to get hooked on the community’s unique blend of sophistication and authentic, flip-flop fun. Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 27 Aug. 2025 At Evergrande’s listing party in 2009, Hui was joined by many of Hong Kong’s tycoons, including Cheng Yu-tung, the late founder of Hong Kong property giant New World Development, and Chinese Estates’ founder Joseph Lau. Reuters, NBC news, 25 Aug. 2025 The plot revolves around the attempts of various parties to get a hold of a Lakota ghost shirt that has come into the possession of a supercilious business tycoon and acquirer of rare artifacts, Pendleton Duvall (Toby Huss). Peter Tonguette, The Washington Examiner, 22 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for tycoon

Word History

Etymology

Japanese taikun

First Known Use

1857, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of tycoon was in 1857

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Cite this Entry

“Tycoon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tycoon. Accessed 5 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

tycoon

noun
ty·​coon tī-ˈkün How to pronounce tycoon (audio)
: a very wealthy and powerful business person
Etymology

Japanese taikun "shogun"

More from Merriam-Webster on tycoon

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