What does businessmen mean?
Businessmen is the plural form of businessman and refers to men who are engaged in commercial activity, whether as owners of companies, executives, entrepreneurs, or traders. The word carries a somewhat traditional, even old-fashioned connotation today, evoking mid-twentieth-century images of suited professionals, and it is increasingly being supplanted by the gender-neutral terms businesspeople or businesspersons in formal writing and journalism. Nevertheless, it remains firmly established in everyday speech and appears frequently in news reporting, historical writing, and discussions of commerce and industry. Etymologically, it derives from 'business', which itself originated as 'busy-ness' — the state of being occupied or industrious — combined with 'man'. Writers choosing between businessmen and its neutral alternatives should consider their audience and register: the plural remains perfectly acceptable in general prose, but inclusive contexts typically favor businesspeople.
nounThe plural of businessman: men who work in business, especially as owners, managers, or executives of commercial enterprises.
- Men who own, manage, or work in commercial enterprises, especially in executive or entrepreneurial roles.
"The conference drew hundreds of businessmen from across the manufacturing sector."
"The new tax policy was welcomed by local businessmen."
"He spent decades as one of the city's most respected businessmen before entering politics."
Businessmen is itself the plural of businessman (singular); the singular ends in -man while the plural changes to -men, following the irregular English plural pattern seen in man/men.
"Several prominent businessmen attended the trade fair."
The word 'business' comes from 'busy-ness' — literally 'the state of being busy' — so a businessman is, etymologically, a man full of busyness.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of businessmen
Businessmen combines 'business' with the plural of 'man'. The word 'business' derives from Middle English 'bisines', rooted in Old English 'bisig' meaning busy, originally denoting the state of being occupied before shifting to mean one's regular work or trade, then commercial activity. The compound businessman arose in the eighteenth century as commercial enterprise became a distinct professional identity. Cognate forms include businesswoman, businessperson, and the adjective businesslike.
Related word forms
How businessmen is actually used
Because it is gender-specific, businessmen is increasingly replaced by the neutral terms businesspeople or business persons in formal and journalistic writing. It remains common in general usage and is simply the standard plural of businessman.
Easily confused with businessmen
Businesswomen is the plural form referring specifically to women in business, whereas businessmen refers to men.
Businesspersons (or business people) is the gender-neutral term for people in business generally, while businessmen refers only to men.