tycoon

ty·coon  (t-kn)

n.

1. A wealthy and powerful businessperson or industrialist; a magnate.

2. Used formerly as a title for a Japanese shogun.

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[Japanese taikun, title of a shogun, of Chinese origin.]

Word History: It has been claimed that in today's global economy some business leaders have more power than heads of states. It is etymologically fitting that such leaders are sometimes called tycoons. Tycoon came into English from Japanese, which had borrowed the title, meaning "great prince," from Chinese. Use of the word was intended to make the shogun, the commander in chief of the Japanese army, more impressive to foreigners (his official title shgun merely meant "general"). It worked with Matthew C. Perry, who opened Japan to the West in 1854; Perry carried out his negotiations with the shogun, thinking him to be the emperor. In fact, the shogun did rule Japan, although he was supposedly acting for the emperor. The shogun's title, taikun, was brought back to the United States after Perry's visit. Abraham Lincoln's cabinet members used tycoon as an affectionate nickname for the President. The word soon came to be used for business and industry leadersat times being applied to figures like J. P. Morgan, who may indeed have wielded more power than many princes and presidents.

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tycoon [taɪˈkuːn]

n

1. (Business / Commerce) a business man of great wealth and power

2. (Historical Terms) an archaic name for a shogun

[from Japanese taikun, from Chinese ta great + chün ruler]

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tycoon - Comes from Japanese tai, "great," and kun, "prince, lord," from Chinese da, "great," and jun, "prince, ruler."

See also related terms for prince.

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

tycoon - a very wealthy or powerful businessman; "an oil baron" big businessman, business leader, magnate, top executive, baron, mogul, king, power businessman, man of affairs - a person engaged in commercial or industrial business (especially an owner or executive) oil tycoon - a powerful person in the oil business

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tycoon

noun magnate, capitalist, baron, industrialist, financier, fat cat (slang, chiefly U.S.), mogul, captain of industry, potentate, wealthy businessman, big cheese (slang, old-fashioned), plutocrat, big noise (informal), merchant prince a self-made property tycoon

Translations

tycoon [taɪˈkuːn] N → magnate m
an oil tycoon → un magnate del petróleo

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tycoon [taɪˈkuːn] n → magnat m
a business tycoon → un magnat des affaires

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tycoon

n → Magnat(in) m(f); business/oil tycoon → Industrie-/Ölmagnat(in) m(f)

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tycoon [taɪˈkuːn] n (business) tycoon → magnate m

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tycoon

n tycoon [taiˈkuːn]

a rich and powerful businessman an oil tycoon. magnaat من كِبار رِجال الأعْمال магнат magnát magnat; -magnat der (Industrie-) Magnat μεγιστάνας magnate magnaat گردن کلفت؛ غول بازرگانی pohatta magnat אִיל הוֹן शक्तिशाली उद्योगपति tajkun, poslovni magnat iparmágnás usahawan kaya viðskipta-/auðjöfur magnate 大立者 거물 magnatas magnāts hartawan magnaat industrileder, kakse, pamp magnat magnata magnat магнат magnát magnat tajkun magnat, storpamp นักธุรกิจที่ร่ำรวยและมีอิทธิพลมาก kodaman, ... kralı (企業、政界的)巨頭 фінансовий магнат مال دار اور طاقت ور تاجر vua, ông trùm （企业、政界的）巨头