English

Noun

merchant prince ‎(plural merchant princes)

1. (historical or figuratively) A mercantile plutocrat: a man who wields great de facto political power by virtue of economic assets derived from trade and commerce.
   • 1760, The Modern Part of an Universal History, Vol. XVI, Bk. xvii, Ch. vii, p. 466:

     The customs and duties paid by each ship, great or small, amount in the whole to 70 or 80 slaves. The king [sc. of Ardrah] has the first choice of goods, whether in the payment of duties, or in exchange for slaves; the hereditary prince the second, the merchant prince the third, the Marbut the fourth, and afterwards the great officers of the court.

   • 1951, Isaac Asimov, Foundation, Pt. V: “The Merchant Princes”, Ch. 18, p. 189:

     “...you’re establishing a plutocracy. You’re making us a land of traders and merchant princes. Then what of the future?”

2. (figuratively) A prince among merchants: a wealthy and influential merchant.

Hypernyms

• merchant, businessman
• prince, ruler

Synonyms

• (singularly successful businessman): See captain of industry

References

1. ↑ "merchant, n. and adj.", in the Oxford English Dictionary (2001), Oxford: Oxford University Press.

• "Merchant Prince" at TV Tropes.