tycoon

noun

ty·​coon tī-ˈkün 
Synonyms of tycoon
1
a
: a businessperson of exceptional wealth, power, and influence : magnate
b
: a top leader (as in politics)
2
: shogun

Examples of tycoon in a Sentence

an oil tycoon who's widely considered the most powerful man in the county
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
For nine seasons, veteran stage and screen actor John Forsythe played the ruthless oil tycoon and family patriarch Blake Carrington. Maggie Fremont, Entertainment Weekly, 23 Aug. 2026 Many leading activists have been jailed under the same law, including pro-democracy former media tycoon Jimmy Lai. ABC News, 20 Aug. 2026 By the end of the 2000s, those rates had crashed even further, allowing the wealthiest families to keep nearly two-thirds of an estate after a tycoon’s passing. Literary Hub, 14 Aug. 2026 The entrepreneur’s efforts secured him a place on the list of the Philippines’ 50 richest in a challenging year when a weaker peso took a toll on the total wealth of the country’s tycoons, which shrank 8% to $79 billion. Naazneen Karmali, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for tycoon

Word History

Etymology

Japanese taikun

First Known Use

1857, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of tycoon was in 1857

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Cite this Entry

“Tycoon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tycoon. Accessed 29 Aug. 2026.

Kids Definition

tycoon

noun
ty·​coon tī-ˈkün 
: a very wealthy and powerful business person
Etymology

Japanese taikun "shogun"

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