HealthJuly 10, 2026

tycoon

/taɪˈkuːn/

Definition

A wealthy, influential, and powerful person in business or industry.

Etymology

The word comes from the Japanese term 'taikun,' meaning 'great lord' or 'shogun,' which was used to refer to foreign leaders. It entered English in the mid-19th century, notably popularized in the U.S. to describe powerful business leaders.

In the news

The article uses 'tycoon' to describe E.H. Harriman, the wealthy railroad executive who founded the Boys' Club of New York in the 19th century.

New York boys club has a time-tested recipe to protect members’ mental health

Read the full article ↗

STAT

Related words

Learn a word like this every day

Meet one new word every morning.

Newspoken pulls one carefully chosen word from the day’s news — with a clear definition, context, and light review that makes it stick. Get it on your phone.

Not for marketing. One email on launch day.