Idiom idiom
robber baron
Meaning
Especially in the 19th and early 20th centuries, a business tycoon who had great wealth and influence but whose methods were morally questionable and often unethical.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Examples
“The robber baron built his fortune by crushing all his competitors.”
“Historians often describe the industrialist as a robber baron because he used ruthless tactics to gain total control over the railroad industry.”
“While the city benefited from his massive infrastructure projects, many critics labeled him a robber baron for his exploitative labor practices and disregard for the public good.”
Anchors to
Last updated August 10, 2026