Agency Dictionary

Entrepreneur

nounPronunciation: /ˌɒn.trə.prəˈnɜːr/

Business & Organizations

What does “Entrepreneur” mean?

An individual who founds and operates a business, assuming personal financial and operational risks in pursuit of opportunity. In creative disciplines, it defines studio owners.

Etymology

From French entrepreneur, "one who undertakes", from the verb entreprendre, formed from entre ("between", Latin inter) and prendre ("to take", Latin prehendere). Enterprise has the same source. English borrowed the French noun more than once, and for a time used it of managers of musical and theatrical productions. The present sense, a person who starts and runs a business at personal risk, became established in the 19th century and is central to the vocabulary of economics.

Usage note

Often misspelled: the ending is -eur, with the r of entre before the p. The related noun for the activity is entrepreneurship.

Synonyms

founder
business owner
businessperson
venturer
enterpriser

Often confused with

businessman: A businessman or businesswoman may run an existing company; an entrepreneur is the one who starts the venture and bears its risk.

Word family

entrepreneurial
entrepreneurship
entrepreneurially
enterprise
intrapreneur

Rhymes with

occur
prefer
defer
stir
blur
connoisseur

Usage examples

My parents were entrepreneurs who owned a successful screen printing and embroidery business for 35 years.

Concepts

Source editions

Where this entry comes from in the Agency editorial.

Creative.8 - Keith RomanowskiJuly 24, 2023Read the edition

Words of the same theme

stakeholdernoun: A person or group with an interest in a project or an organization and affected by its results, such as clients, managers, investors or users.
asynchronousadjective: Not occurring at the same time or coordinated simultaneously, describing workflows or interactions handled independently across time.
Bottlenecknoun: A point of congestion or obstruction that impedes progress or restricts flow in a production or organizational system.
Byproductnoun: A secondary, often unexpected result or incidental creation derived from an ongoing process or effort.
consultantnoun: A professional who provides expert advice, diagnostic analysis, and strategic guidance in a specific discipline or industry.
diagnosticnoun: An analytical determination or judgment identifying the underlying nature, cause, or source of a problem.
Dinosaurnoun: Informally, a person, organization, or established institution that has survived for a long time, sometimes perceived as traditional or resistant to change. In business, it highlights corporate longevity across eras.
Inventorynoun: A complete itemized catalog or aggregate stock of raw materials, parts, works in progress, and finished goods held in custody by a business enterprise for production or commercial sale.
Logisticsnoun: The detailed organization, planning, and practical implementation of complex operations involving the movement, transport, and maintenance of materials, goods, and personnel across distribution channels.
Monetizeverb: To convert an activity, audience, digital asset, or service into legal currency or financial revenue.

Also from these editions: terms

Baselinenoun: A clearly defined reference point or standard benchmark against which measurements and quality levels are compared. In industry analysis, it defines the current standard of work.
Dispensarynoun: A specialized retail storefront or clinic legally authorized to dispense medical or recreational products, particularly cannabis. In branding, it represents the key point of consumer sale.
Dopaminenoun: A neurotransmitter that plays a major role in the brain's reward, motivation, and motor control pathways. In creative psychology, it is associated with the thrill of insight and execution.
Mockupnoun: A full-scale or realistic model of a design used for demonstration, evaluation, or promotion. In digital product creation, it illustrates interface aesthetics before programming begins.
Photoshootnoun: A scheduled session in which a photographer takes pictures of models, products, or scenes for commercial or editorial use. In commercial design, it serves to capture physical packaging assets.
Plywoodnoun: A manufactured timber sheet made of multiple thin layers of wood veneer glued together under heat and pressure. In studio design, it provides an accessible textured backdrop.
Post-productionnoun: The phase of image or film making that occurs after primary recording, encompassing color grading, retouching, and compositing. In product imagery, it polishes textures and removes dust.
Sawhorsenoun: A four-legged wooden or metal trestle frame used to support lumber during sawing or to hold makeshift table surfaces. In photo studios, sawhorses serve as versatile modular tables.
Screen printingnoun: A printing technique where ink is forced through a prepared mesh stencil onto paper, textiles, or glass. It serves as an industrial craft foundation for commercial merchandising.
Smoke and mirrorsnoun: Deceptive or illusory practices intended to obscure reality and give a false impression of substance. In media culture, it describes the synthetic illusion generated by automated tools.
Technicalitynoun: The state or quality of being technical, demanding precise operational knowledge and meticulous execution. In studio photography, it refers to mastery of optics, lighting, and exposure.