Meaning & use
business bigwigs
Last updated
Meaning
nounpluralinformal
Powerful or important people in the business world, especially top executives or owners.
Grammar: Always plural; for one person, use 'a business bigwig'.
Patterns
- business bigwigs from [place/industry]
- a meeting of business bigwigs
The conference attracted business bigwigs from across Asia.
Local business bigwigs gathered to discuss the new tax rules.
She interviewed several business bigwigs for the magazine.
Common combinations
- business bigwigs from
- Business bigwigs from Europe and America attended the summit.
- a gathering of business bigwigs
- The charity dinner was a gathering of business bigwigs.
- meet with business bigwigs
- The mayor met with business bigwigs to discuss the project.
- top business bigwigs
- Top business bigwigs were invited to the private briefing.
Synonyms and how they differ
- tycoons
- Tycoons are wealthy and powerful business people, often in a specific industry; 'bigwigs' is broader and can include senior managers.
- executives
- Executives are senior managers in companies; 'bigwigs' is more informal and emphasizes power and influence.
- magnates
- Magnates are powerful business figures, especially in older industries like steel or media; 'bigwigs' is more general and informal.
Word family
- bigwig noun
- An important or powerful person, especially in business or politics.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'business bigwigs' correctly?
Choose one answer.
The phrase is plural, so it takes a plural verb and cannot be used with 'a' or 'is'. Option C is correct because 'business bigwigs' is the plural subject. Options A, B, and D incorrectly treat it as singular.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “business bigwigs”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.