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venture capitalism

venture capitalism

1 6.5
Investors give money to new, risky companies hoping for big profits
  • noun
  • /ˈvɛn.tʃər ˌkæp.ɪ.təl.ɪ.zəm/
translation icon : capital de riesgo
  • Innovators in the technology sector frequently seek venture capitalism to transform their ideas into thriving businesses.

Examples

  • What's happening is just good old-fashioned venture capitalism.

    Blog text (3)
  • That's just venture capitalism.

    Blog text (22)
  • Utah Senator and Dad explaining venture capitalism to your prom date, Mitt Romney.

  • The success of new tech companies often depends on venture capitalism to provide necessary funding for their projects.

  • Through venture capitalism, investors can support high-risk startups with the potential for substantial returns.

Antonyms

994 1.5

Following long-held customs and ways of doing things

A careful way of acting that prefers safe, low-risk choices

Surface Forms

Morphology

venture + capitalism

The meaning is largely compositional: 'venture' (a risky commercial undertaking) modifies 'capitalism' (an economic system), so a learner who knows both words can infer it refers to a form of capitalism associated with business ventures. However, the technical nuance — that it specifically involves investors funding high‑risk startups with expectation of large returns — goes beyond simple composition and may not be fully predictable to a B1 learner.

Etymology

Venture capitalism mixes venture (a risky project or journey) and capitalism (business with money). One clear image is people giving money to a small, risky company as if they were backing an explorer, and that's why it means 'investors' give money to risky new businesses hoping for 'big profits'.