magnate

[ mag-neyt, -nit ]

noun

1. a person of great influence, importance, or standing in a particular enterprise, field of business, etc.:

   a railroad magnate.

2. a person of eminence or distinction in any field:

   literary magnates.

3. a member of the former upper house in either the Polish or Hungarian parliament.

magnate

/ ˈmæɡneɪt; -nɪt /

noun

1. a person of power and rank in any sphere, esp in industry
2. history a great nobleman
3. (formerly) a member of the upper chamber in certain European parliaments, as in Hungary

Derived Forms

• ˈmagnateˌship, noun

Other Words From

• magnate·ship noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of magnate¹

1400–50; back formation from Middle English magnates (plural) < Late Latin magnātēs leading people, equivalent to Latin magn ( us ) magn- + -ātēs, plural of -ās noun suffix

Word History and Origins

Origin of magnate¹

C15: back formation from earlier magnates from Late Latin: great men, plural of magnās, from Latin magnus great

Example Sentences

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

All in all, as ‘SNL’ goes, the mega-rich tech magnate made a decent showing, in part because the show went out of its way to ensure him one.

From Los Angeles Times

However, there is a twist this time: Trump’s most ardent supporter is electric vehicle magnate Elon Musk.

From Los Angeles Times

The social media magnate is dressed to the nines in a sequin jacket patterned like tin ceiling tiles.

From Slate

That’s when a San Diego magnate named John Spreckels opened his “impossible railroad,” running tracks through Jacumba on the boulder-filled hill-and-valley path from San Diego to Yuma.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• aristocrat
• capitalist
• financier
• merchant
• mogul
• tycoon