What does businessman mean?
A businessman is a man who engages in commercial activity, whether as the owner of a company, a senior executive, or a professional participant in trade. The word combines 'business' — itself derived from the Old English notion of busyness, or being occupied — with 'man', and it has long carried connotations of competence, deal-making, and economic influence. In everyday use, the term ranges from neutral to admiring: one might speak of a 'shrewd businessman', a 'self-made businessman', or simply 'local businessmen' attending a chamber of commerce event. Because English increasingly favors gender-neutral language, alternatives such as 'businessperson' and the plural 'businesspeople' have become widespread, though 'businessman' remains common in journalism and historical writing. Related terms like entrepreneur, magnate, tycoon, and industrialist carry more specific shades of meaning — innovation, wealth, power, and manufacturing respectively — making 'businessman' the broadest and most general of the group.
nounA man who works in business, especially as an owner or executive of a commercial enterprise.
- A man who owns, manages, or works in a business, especially in a professional or senior capacity.
"After decades of building shipping companies across Asia, he was regarded as one of the region's most respected businessmen."
"The hotel lobby was full of businessmen waiting for their morning meetings."
"She out-negotiated every businessman at the table without raising her voice."
The standard plural follows regular English compounding: 'men' replaces 'man'. For mixed-gender or gender-neutral contexts, 'businesspeople' is now widely preferred.
"The conference drew hundreds of businessmen from across the continent."
The word 'businessman' is a compound of 'busyness' — because before it meant commerce, 'business' literally meant the state of being busy.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of businessman
'Businessman' is a compound of 'business', which evolved from the Old English 'bisignis' meaning care, anxiety, or occupation — literally the state of being busy — and 'man'. The compound arose in the eighteenth or nineteenth century as modern commercial capitalism expanded and society needed a general term for men who made their living through trade and enterprise rather than land or labor. It belongs to the same family as other '-man' occupational compounds such as 'sportsman' and 'statesman'. Its female counterparts, 'businesswoman' and the gender-neutral 'businessperson', developed later in response to changing social norms.
Related word forms
How businessman is actually used
The term is somewhat traditional and increasingly replaced by gender-neutral forms such as 'businessperson' or 'businessman/businesswoman' distinctions; 'businesspeople' or simply 'the business community' are preferred when referring to mixed groups. It typically implies someone established in commerce rather than a casual trader.
Easily confused with businessman
An entrepreneur specifically starts and takes financial risk on new ventures, while businessman is a broader term for any man engaged in commerce or running a business.