Meaning & use
astute businessman
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Meanings
nouncountable
A man in business who is clever at judging situations and making money.
Grammar: Countable; the plural is 'astute businessmen'.
Patterns
- an astute businessman who does something
- a famously astute businessman
Her father was an astute businessman who bought property before prices rose.
He is an astute businessman and rarely signs a contract without reading it twice.
nouncountableapproving
Used generally, approvingly, of anyone who shows sharp practical judgment in deals or plans.
Grammar: Often used of women too, though 'businessman' is masculine; 'businesswoman' or 'businessperson' may fit better.
Patterns
- an astute businessman in something
- prove an astute businessman
She proved an astute businessman, spotting a gap in the market nobody else saw.
The article called him an astute businessman rather than a lucky one.
Word forms
| plural | astute businessmen |
|---|
Common combinations
- an astute businessman
- Everyone describes her uncle as an astute businessman.
- a shrewd businessman
- He is a shrewd businessman who never overpays.
- an astute move
- Selling the shares early was an astute move.
- an astute observer of something
- She is an astute observer of the housing market.
- astute judgment
- The deal required astute judgment about risk.
Synonyms and how they differ
- shrewd
- 'Shrewd' stresses cleverness about money and people, often with a hint of cunning; 'astute' sounds more approving and thoughtful.
- sharp
- 'Sharp' is more informal and general; it can describe quick thinking, while 'astute' suggests wise, well-judged decisions.
- perceptive
- 'Perceptive' focuses on noticing and understanding things, not on business success, so it fits less well with 'businessman'.
Opposites
Word family
- astutely adverb
- in a clever, well-judged way
- astuteness noun
- the quality of judging situations cleverly
- businessman noun
- a man who works in business, especially at a senior level
- business noun
- the activity of buying and selling goods and services
Commonly confused: astute businessman or astute?
astute businessman vs astute
'Astute' is the adjective; don't write 'an astute business' when you mean a clever person — say 'an astute businessman' or 'an astute business decision'.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'astute businessman' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'An astute businessman' needs the article 'an' plus the singular noun; option 1 adds a wrong preposition, option 2 omits the article, and option 3 uses the plural with 'an'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “astute businessman”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.