1 magnate | Definition of magnate

magnate

noun
mag·​nate | \ ˈmag-ˌnāt How to pronounce magnate (audio) , -nət\

Definition of magnate

: a person of rank, power, influence, or distinction often in a specified area a railroad magnate

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Examples of magnate in a Sentence

a studio magnate who had the biggest stars in Hollywood at his beck and call

Recent Examples on the Web

Among the early beneficiaries of the tax incentive are billionaire financiers like Leon Cooperman and business magnates like Sidney Kohl — and Mr. Trump’s family members and advisers. New York Times, "How a Trump Tax Break to Help Poor Communities Became a Windfall for the Rich," 31 Aug. 2019 Secretary of Energy Rick Perry The Koch brothers are above all petrochemical magnates, so there is arguably no cabinet position more important than energy secretary. Annalisa Merelli, Quartz, "David Koch’s spirit is alive and well in the White House cabinet," 23 Aug. 2019 So dominant is this ethos of unpretentiousness that even the blueblood and magnate often embrace the fashion, accent, and bearing of the middle class. Victor Davis Hanson, National Review, "The American Middle Class," 22 Aug. 2019 But as the president gears up for the 2020 campaign, coal magnates with histories of labor violations have been among the biggest beneficiaries of his agenda. Alexander Smith, NBC News, "Denmark in disbelief as Trump cancels trip over Greenland sale: The Morning Rundown," 21 Aug. 2019 But in the West, fame has long been the explicit endgame for warriors and lip gloss magnates alike. Virginia Heffernan, WIRED, "The Elusive Price—and Prize—of Fame on the Internet," 20 Aug. 2019 Lazarus was asked to write the poem in 1883 as part of a fundraiser put on by newspaper magnate Joseph Pulitzer to raise money for the construction of the base of the Statue of Liberty. Meagan Flynn, The Denver Post, "Historians bash Ken Cuccinelli’s revised Statue of Liberty poem," 14 Aug. 2019 Those documents mentioned the names of some prominent politicians and businessmen, including Hyatt hotels magnate Tom Pritzker, 69. Lisa Donovan, chicagotribune.com, "The Spin: Rod Blagojevich still running | Jeffrey Epstein court records mention Pritzker family member | Will Amazon help Peotone land airport?," 12 Aug. 2019 The center was named for 20th-century citrus magnate Philip Phillips after a donation of $25 million from Dr. Phillips Charities, but the philanthropy’s president resigned from the arts center’s board last month. Matthew J. Palm, orlandosentinel.com, "RK Kelley, former Orlando Philharmonic president, joins board of Dr. Phillips Charities," 29 July 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'magnate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of magnate

15th century, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for magnate

Middle English magnates, plural, from Late Latin, from Latin magnus

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More Definitions for magnate

magnate

noun

English Language Learners Definition of magnate

: a person who has great wealth and power in a particular business or industry

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More from Merriam-Webster on magnate

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with magnate

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for magnate

Spanish Central: Translation of magnate

Nglish: Translation of magnate for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of magnate for Arabic Speakers