capitalist
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capitalist
A person who has substantial capital (money, means of production, real estate) and uses it to generate profit. The term is often used in a critical context.
In der politischen Diskussion wurde er als rücksichtsloser Kapitalist dargestellt, dem nur der eigene Profit wichtig sei.
In the political debate, he was portrayed as a ruthless capitalist who cared only about his own profit.
capitalist
A supporter or advocate of capitalism as an economic system.
Als überzeugter Kapitalist argumentierte er für weniger staatliche Regulierung und mehr freien Wettbewerb.
As a convinced capitalist, he argued for less government regulation and more free competition.
The word is derived from 'das Kapital' (capital, wealth). The suffix '-ist' refers to a person who belongs to a particular belief system or group, as in 'Sozialist' (socialist) or 'Pazifist' (pacifist).
Er hat sein Kapital in verschiedene Aktien investiert.
He invested his capital in various stocks.
'Der Kapitalist' (the capitalist) belongs to a word family with 'das Kapital' (wealth/capital), 'der Kapitalismus' (capitalism), and 'kapitalistisch' (capitalist/capitalistic, adjective). If you know one word, you can often understand the others.
Die Debatte drehte sich um die Vor- und Nachteile des Kapitalismus.
The debate centered on the advantages and disadvantages of capitalism.
In this meaning, the word often has a negative or critical connotation. It is frequently used in political or socially critical discussions to address greed or social injustice.
Der Redner bezeichnete die Firmenchefs als gierige Kapitalisten.
The speaker referred to the company bosses as greedy capitalists.
When 'Kapitalist' (capitalist) describes a supporter of capitalism, the use is often more neutral. A typical combination is 'überzeugter Kapitalist' (convinced capitalist) to describe someone's economic worldview.
Als überzeugter Kapitalist verteidigte er den freien Markt.
As a convinced capitalist, he defended the free market.
entrepreneur
An Unternehmer is defined by an active role in founding, owning, or running a company. A Kapitalist primarily invests substantial capital to make a profit; the word therefore emphasizes ownership of capital and can sound critical.
Herr Klein investiert sein großes Vermögen als Kapitalist in mehrere Firmen.
As a capitalist, Mr. Klein invests his substantial wealth in several companies.
Herr Klein leitet die Firma als Unternehmer und entscheidet über ihre Zukunft.
Mr. Klein runs the company as an entrepreneur and decides its future.
