Meaning & use
enterprising
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Meanings
adjectivecomparableapproving
Full of initiative and ready to try new, bold ideas, especially in business.
Grammar: Often before a noun: an enterprising young man.
Patterns
- an enterprising person
An enterprising student started a tutoring business.
The enterprising baker sold bread from her window.
They hired an enterprising manager to open new branches.
adjectivecomparable
Showing clever, resourceful use of an opportunity.
Grammar: Often describes actions: an enterprising solution.
Patterns
- an enterprising idea
It was an enterprising way to raise money.
The enterprising solution saved the festival.
He found an enterprising use for old pallets.
Word forms
| comparative | more enterprising |
|---|---|
| superlative | most enterprising |
Common combinations
- enterprising young
- An enterprising young woman opened a bike repair stall.
- enterprising spirit
- The town has an enterprising spirit.
- enterprising entrepreneur
- The enterprising entrepreneur turned scraps into art.
- enterprising farmer
- An enterprising farmer sold honey at the roadside.
- enterprising approach
- They took an enterprising approach to marketing.
Synonyms and how they differ
- resourceful
- Stresses clever use of what is available, while enterprising adds willingness to start new ventures.
- ambitious
- Stresses a desire for success, which may not lead to action.
- entrepreneurial
- Means related to starting businesses, and is more formal and professional.
- go-getting
- An informal word for energetic and determined, often in sales.
Opposites
Word family
- enterprise noun
- a bold project, or a business
- enterprisingly adverb
- in a resourceful, bold way
- entrepreneur noun
- a person who starts businesses
Commonly confused: enterprising or entertaining?
enterprising vs entertaining
Entertaining means amusing; enterprising means bold and resourceful. They look similar but are unrelated.
Practice
An enterprising teenager is most likely to:
Choose one answer.
Enterprising means showing initiative and trying new ventures. The other options describe passive behavior.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “enterprising”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.