noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
/ˈmæɡneɪt/
/ˈmæɡnət/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -æɡneɪt
rhymes with -æɡnət
homophone: magnet (one pronunciation)
CMU ARPABET:M AE1 G N AH0 T
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
CMU ARPABET 2:M AE1 G N EY2 T
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
Powerful industrialist; captain of industry.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
I have decided to become an oil magnate, after spending quite some time reading the dictionary definition of the word magnate.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
A person of rank, influence or distinction in any sphere.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
In medieval and early modern Italy, a member of a legally defined category of especially wealthy patrician families, often deprived of the right to political participation by republican governments.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: historical
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
a very wealthy or powerful businessman
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
an oil baron
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: baron, big businessman, business leader, king, mogul, power, top executive, tycoon
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: businessman, man of affairs
Narrower terms: oil tycoon
History
Etymology
Borrowed into late Middle English from Late Latin magnātēs, plural of magnās, from magnus (“great”), mid 15th c.
Across languages
Translations
22 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Afrikaans:
magnaat
— powerful industrialist; captain of industry
Bulgarian:
магнат
(magnat)
— powerful industrialist; captain of industry
Catalan:
magnat
— powerful industrialist; captain of industry
Danish:
magnat
— powerful industrialist; captain of industry
Dutch:
magnaat
— powerful industrialist; captain of industry
French:
magnat
— powerful industrialist; captain of industry
Ido:
magnato
— powerful industrialist; captain of industry
Italian:
magnate
— powerful industrialist; captain of industry
Macedonian:
ма́гнат
(mágnat)
— powerful industrialist; captain of industry
Macedonian:
магна́т
(magnát)
— powerful industrialist; captain of industry
Norwegian Bokmål:
magnat
— powerful industrialist; captain of industry
Norwegian Nynorsk:
magnat
— powerful industrialist; captain of industry
Polish:
magnat
— powerful industrialist; captain of industry
Polish:
magnatka
— powerful industrialist; captain of industry
Portuguese:
magnata
— powerful industrialist; captain of industry
Spanish:
magnate
— powerful industrialist; captain of industry
Swedish:
magnat
— powerful industrialist; captain of industry
Ukrainian:
магна́т
(mahnát)
— powerful industrialist; captain of industry
Italian:
magnate
— person of rank, influence or distinction in any sphere
Macedonian:
великан
(velikan)
— person of rank, influence or distinction in any sphere
Portuguese:
magnate
— person of rank, influence or distinction in any sphere
Spanish:
magnate
— person of rank, influence or distinction in any sphere
