tycoon (English)

Where does "tycoon" come from?

The English noun 'tycoon' was borrowed from Japanese 'taikun', meaning 'great lord, prince', which originally served as a title for the shogun[1]. This Japanese word itself developed as a compound of Old Japanese elements meaning 'great, big, large' and 'lord, lady'[2]. The word is also related to the Cantonese-derived term 'daai baan'[1]. In English, the meaning eventually expanded beyond its historical political title to describe any wealthy and powerful business person, and the newer game sense later derived from titles of simulation games where players act as a business tycoon[1].

Full etymology tree

• tycoon (English), 'A wealthy and powerful business person.'
  • borrowed 大君 (taikun) (Japanese), 'the emperor, His Majesty'
    • compound 大 (ō) (Old Japanese)
    • compound 君 (kimi) (Old Japanese)

Descendants and derived words

• oil tycoon (English)
• tycoon game (English)
• tycoonocracy (English)
• tycoonocrat (English)

Sources

1. tycoon (English) - Wiktionary
2. 大君 (taikun) (Japanese) - Wiktionary

Updated September 2026

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Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris