Businesspeople

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. People who are actively involved in commercial enterprises and negotiations
2. Individuals who operate within a professional sphere focused on generating profit and managing resources
3. Persons engaged in activities related to buying and selling goods or services

Etymology: "Businesspeople" is the plural of "businessperson," a compound built from "business" and "person." The second element, "person," comes from Latin "persona," a word originally meaning a theatrical mask, and it reached English through Old French. "Business" goes back to Old English "bisignes," meaning anxiety or busyness, formed from "bisig," "busy," and the sense of commerce only developed later. The pairing itself is plain and transparent: "businessperson" was formed in English by joining the two words, with "person" used as a neutral alternative to "man" in reference to someone engaged in trade or commerce. The plural simply adds the usual "-s" to the end of the compound, with "people" forming the plural of "person" in the usual way.

Synonyms: entrepreneurs, professionals, executives, corporate officers