tycoon
Americannoun
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a person of great wealth, influence, or power; magnate.
a business tycoon; a political tycoon.
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(often initial capital letter) a title used with reference to the shogun of Japan.
noun
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a business man of great wealth and power
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an archaic name for a shogun
Etymology
Origin of tycoon
1855–60; < Japanese taikun < Middle Chinese, equivalent to Chinese dà great + jūn prince
Explanation
If you are meeting with someone who is considered a tycoon in his industry, keep in mind that he is very successful and probably accustomed to high-stakes negotiations. Tycoon is derived from the Japanese word taikun, which means “great lord or prince.” This noun made its way to the West in the mid-19th century and originally referred to the shogun, or military leader, of Japan. It was also used in reference to Abraham Lincoln to indicate that he was an important man. Now, tycoons are generally understood to be unusually successful heads of business or industry.
Vocabulary lists containing tycoon
Outliers
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This Week In Words: August 30–September 4, 2020
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In doing so, the tech tycoon broke with the company's previous approach of prioritizing development of free, open-access AI models such as Llama.
From Barron's • Apr. 8, 2026
Clement did indeed mention the man then known as a real estate tycoon and reality-TV host, however.
From Salon • Apr. 4, 2026
Archer has formed a partnership with a real-estate tycoon to develop an air-taxi network in South Florida, and it will serve as the official air-taxi provider for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 9, 2026
Playing property tycoon Nile Jarvis, Rhys said that he "stole" some of the character's traits from Sir Anthony Hopkins' Oscar-winning performance in The Silence of The Lambs.
From BBC • Feb. 26, 2026
As the tycoon outfitted his country estate, he demanded that every touch be just so, down to the selection of the family dog.
From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
