businessman

[ biz-nis-man ]

noun

, plural busi·ness·men.

1. a man regularly employed in business, especially a white-collar worker, executive, or owner.

businessman

/ ˈbɪznɪsˌmæn; -mən /

noun

1. a person, esp a man, engaged in commercial or industrial business, esp as an owner or executive

Usage

There is a gender-neutral form, businessperson , but it does not appear to be very widely used. The plural business people is quite widely used, and if you wish to avoid being gender-specific, you could try recasting your sentence to use the plural

Word History and Origins

Origin of businessman¹

First recorded in 1705–15; business + man

Example Sentences

McGuinness's fundraising total will rise significantly after Scottish businessman and philanthropist Sir Tom Hunter said he would double any donations made from Wednesday onwards, up to a £3m limit.

From BBC

The event was the shared property of Forsythe, 87, an American businessman and auto racing magnate, and Kalkhoven, his Australian-born partner.

From Los Angeles Times

In 1975, he wrote a paper titled “The Case for Passive Eugenics” and would later, in a letter to eugenicist Robert Graham, a millionaire businessman known for starting a sperm bank for geniuses, clarify his goals.

From Salon

In the real world, he's a failed businessman who repeatedly filed for bankruptcy after losses so huge that even decades of fraud and two cash infusions amounting to nearly a billion dollars couldn't safeguard him.

From Salon

The charitable foundation represents the late British businessman, who collected the items in Europe, Japan, Hong Kong and China, before his death in 1964.

From BBC