robber baron

noun

: an American capitalist of the latter part of the 19th century who became wealthy through exploitation (as of natural resources, governmental influence, or low wage scales)

: a business owner or executive who acquires wealth through ethically questionable tactics

Examples of robber baron in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Stewart called Goldstein a robber baron while forgetting the show was live. —

Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY, 9 May 2024 The rampant capitalism practiced by robber barons such as Andrew Carnegie, Cornelius Vanderbilt, and John Rockefeller over a century ago was ultimately checked by government measures to protect consumers, workers, and market competition. —

Tom Wheeler, Foreign Affairs, 23 Apr. 2024 But Cahokia is surrounded by American robber barons eager to destroy its hierarchy and appropriate its treasures. —

Mary Ann Gwinn, Los Angeles Times, 8 Feb. 2024 The conflict ushered in, among other things, Reconstruction and Jim Crow, the Gilded Age and the robber barons, mass immigration from Ireland, Italy and Eastern Europe. —

Lance Morrow, WSJ, 9 Jan. 2024 See all Example Sentences for robber baron

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