English Reference

Word

entrepreneur

Phoneticsen·tre·pre·neur

US/ˌɑntɹəpɹəˈnɝ/

UK/ˌɒntɹɪpɹɪnˈɜː/

Definitions

01business founder

B2 · Business

n. someone who starts a new business and takes risks to make it successful.

n. an individual who initiates, manages, and assumes the risks of a business enterprise.

“The young entrepreneur started her first tech company while still at university.”

“The venture capital firm is looking for a visionary entrepreneur who can demonstrate both technical expertise and a viable path to profitability.”

Pitfall

He is a successful entrepeneur.

He is a successful entrepreneur.

The spelling is tricky because it comes from French; remember the 're' at the end and the 'eur' suffix.

Synonyms

founderbusinesspersonindustrialist

Antonyms

02entertainment manager

C2 · Theatre

n. a person who organises concerts, plays, or other public shows.

n. a person who organises and manages public entertainments, such as concerts or theatrical productions.

“In the 1800s, a famous entrepreneur brought the opera company to the city.”

“The nineteenth-century entrepreneur was responsible for coordinating the entire seasonal programme, from hiring the lead soprano to securing the venue.”

Archaic

Synonyms

impresariopromotermanager

Real-World Examples

“It is run by Najia, a 47-year-old Afghan entrepreneur and mother of nine children who was married at the age of 14.”
BBC News · 14 Aug 2026
“Universities educate the next generation of scientists, engineers and entrepreneurs.”
The Conversation · 7 Aug 2026
“Yolande Knell speaks to digital entrepreneurs there, who despite everything are finding ways to work online.”
BBC News · 13 Aug 2026

Etymology

Borrowed from French entrepreneur (“one who undertakes or manages”), from Middle French entrepreneur, from entreprendre (“to undertake”) + -eur.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Word family

Domain

Business

This entry

Level
B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency
Frequent
Updated

Scan code

englishreference.com/q/entrepreneur

English Reference