magnate
/maɡˈnate/masculine
The English phrase 'magnate' is translated into Spanish as magnate.
The word magnate refers to a powerful industrialist or a captain of industry. Other ways to refer to such influential people include Titán, meaning 'titan' or the phrase Empresario destacado, which means 'prominent entrepreneur' and denotes a successful businessperson with considerable wealth and influence.
Meaning: powerful industrialist, captain of industry (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
/maɡˈnate/
Did you know?
- While magnate sounds quite formal and grand, a Spanish speaker might colloquially refer to a wealthy tycoon simply as a pez gordo, which translates literally to 'fat fish'.
- The word magnate comes from the Latin magnātēs, which originally referred to people of high social rank or nobility rather than business owners.
- Spanish speakers sometimes use the word cacique instead of magnate when the person's power is based on political control of a small town or region rather than a global industry.
Examples in context
- El magnate de la industria petrolera está expandiendo su imperio.The oil industry magnate is expanding their empire.
- No te metas con él, es un pez gordo en la industria del entretenimiento.Don't mess with him, he's a big fish in the entertainment industry.
- El magnate de la tecnología vive en esta ciudad.The technology magnate lives in this city.
- Aquel magnate del petróleo es muy influyente.That oil magnate is very influential.
- Es un magnate de la industria textil.He is a textile industry magnate.
Example conversation
Sofía and Alejandro are discussing a news report about a wealthy businessman.
- Sofía¿Conoces al nuevo magnate del acero?Do you know the new steel magnate?
- AlejandroNo, no he oído hablar de él.No, I haven't heard of him.
- SofíaEs un magnate muy joven y exitoso.He is a very young and successful magnate.
- AlejandroParece que tendrá mucho poder.It seems he will have much power.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “magnate” translations and entries magnate, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries magnate, CC BY-SA 4.0.
