ˈmagˌnā]t, ˈmaig-, -_nə̇], usu ]d.+V\ noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English magnates, plural, from Late Latin, from Latin magnus great — more at much
1.
a. : a person of rank : nobleman , peer
the king surrounded by his magnates was enthroned — L.G.W.Legg
b. : a person of influence or distinction
the county magnates and the peasants who farmed their land — Sam Pollock
a smart little luncheon party at which my grandfather was entertaining an important local magnate — Osbert Lancaster
2. : a person prominent in the management of a large industry or enterprise
a tobacco magnate who had crashed in competition — Times Literary Supplement
a magnate of the first order in the world of industry and commerce — Ernest Barker