empresario
nounCEFR B2
What does “empresario” mean in English?
entrepreneur, employer
entrepreneur, employer (someone who owns or runs a business; also used collectively as employers: la patronal)
Example sentences
El gobierno anunció incentivos fiscales para los pequeños empresarios que contraten a jóvenes desempleados.
The government announced tax incentives for small business owners who hire unemployed young people.
Varios empresarios del sector tecnológico se reunieron con el ministro para debatir la regulación de la inteligencia artificial.
Several tech entrepreneurs met with the minister to discuss the regulation of artificial intelligence.
How to use it
El empresario / la empresaria (noun) means 'entrepreneur' or 'businessperson/employer' — someone who runs or owns a business, especially one who has founded it. At B2 it appears in economic, social, and political discourse. Core collocations: empresario privado/autónomo; la patronal (collective of employers); pequeño/gran empresario; espíritu empresarial. Don't conflate with ejecutivo (salaried manager) or inversor (investor).
Common mistake
Empresario covers both 'employer' and 'entrepreneur' — context determines which is meant. The collective noun la patronal (employer federation) is distinct. Don't use *emprendedor where empresario fits — emprendedor stresses the startup/innovative angle while empresario is broader. The adjective form is empresarial (business, corporate).