- magnate
- 1430, "great man, noble, man of wealth," from L.L. magnates, pl. of magnas (gen. magnatis) "great person, nobleman," from L. magnus "great," from PIE *mag-no-, from base *meg- "great" (cf. Skt. maha-, mahat- "great," Gk. megas, fem. megale "great, large," Goth. mikils, O.E. micel "great, big, many").