# magnate

/ˈmæɡˌneɪt/ (US) · /mˈæɡneɪt/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/magnate
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. business leader

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal

a person who is very successful and powerful in a specific business, like oil or newspapers.

For teachers: a powerful industrialist or business leader who has achieved great wealth and influence in a particular sector.

- The shipping magnate owned a fleet of hundreds of cargo ships.
- The real estate magnate exerted significant influence over city planning through his extensive portfolio of commercial properties.

Usage: Often used with a qualifying noun to specify the industry, such as 'media magnate' or 'steel magnate'.

### 2. historical rank

noun · CEFR C2 · Archaic · Formal

a person of high rank or great importance in the past, especially in old European politics.

For teachers: a person of high rank, influence, or distinction, particularly referring to historical nobility or wealthy patrician families.

- The king met with the powerful magnates of the realm to discuss the new tax.
- In medieval Hungary, the magnates formed the upper house of the diet and held vast hereditary estates.

Teaching tip: In modern English, this sense is almost exclusively found in history books; 'tycoon' is the more common modern equivalent for business contexts.

## Examples

- The media magnate owns several major television networks.
- After decades of aggressive expansion, the shipping magnate controlled nearly half of the global container fleet.
- The biography explores how a small-town entrepreneur transformed himself into a global steel magnate, eventually wielding more political influence than many elected officials.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.