businesswoman

IPA/ˈbɪznəswʊmən/
KK[bˈɪznɪswˌʊmən]IPA/ˈbɪznəswʊmən/

businesswoman — noun

  • businesswomansingular
  • businesswomenplural

1. a female adult whose job is running, owning, or working in a company, especially

1.nounA2
Definition

a female adult whose job is running, owning, or working in a company, especially someone with a senior role such as a director or manager.

Example

Maya is a successful businesswoman who owns three coffee shops in Taipei.

successful + businesswoman; owns [number] [shops]

The award honoured Lina Chen as the most influential businesswoman in the country.

the most influential businesswoman in [place]

Common collocations
  • successful businesswoman
  • leading businesswoman
  • prominent businesswoman
  • self-made businesswoman
  • young businesswoman
Synonyms
  • entrepreneur

    stresses starting and running one's own company; gender-neutral

  • executive

    focuses on a senior management role inside a company; gender-neutral

  • businessperson

    gender-neutral umbrella term, common in formal writing

Grammar Patterns

a/the + businesswoman

businesswoman + from/in [place]

Usage Note

The plural is irregular: 'businesswomen', pronounced with a different vowel in the second syllable. Often modified by adjectives describing status or success (successful, leading, prominent, self-made).

Common Mistakes

She is a businesswomen.
She is a businesswoman.
use the singular form for one person.
My mother is a business woman.
My mother is a businesswoman.
write it as one word, not two.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words describe people active in commerce, but they highlight different things. 'Businesswoman' specifies that the person is female and works in business, often at a senior level; it is the most general term for a woman in this field. 'Entrepreneur' shifts the focus to risk-taking — someone who founds and runs their own venture, regardless of gender. 'Executive' points to rank inside an organisation, such as a director or vice-president, rather than ownership. 'Businessperson' is the gender-neutral umbrella term, increasingly preferred in formal or news writing. So Maya, who owns three coffee shops, is both a businesswoman and an entrepreneur, while a salaried company director is more naturally called an executive.

businesswoman ↗entrepreneur ↗executive ↗businessperson ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • businesswoman of the year
  • group of businesswomen

Phrases

  • a successful businesswoman
  • a leading businesswoman
  • a self-made businesswoman
  • Asia's top businesswomen

Prepositions

  • businesswoman from [place]
  • businesswoman in [industry]
  • businesswoman of [nationality]

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishModern English

Formed in English in the early 1600s by joining 'business' (Old English 'bisignes', meaning anxiety or occupation, from 'busy') with 'woman' (Old English 'wifman', literally 'wife-person'). The word stayed rare until the late 19th century, when more women entered commerce and a specific label was needed alongside the older 'businessman'.