fatcat
fatcat Lexical Profile
fatcat Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A wealthy and privileged person, especially a corporate executive, financier, or major political donor who is perceived as greedy, self-satisfied, or overly influential.
"The new tax reform was criticized for favoring corporate fatcats at the expense of ordinary workers."
• adjective
Relating to, characteristic of, or catering to wealthy, privileged, and influential people, especially corporate executives or political donors perceived as greedy.
"Public outrage grew after the struggling airline approved millions in bonuses for its fatcat executives."
Word Nuance & Usage
Most commonly written as an open compound ('fat cat') or hyphenated ('fat-cat') when used attributively before a noun, though the closed form 'fatcat' is also attested in informal and journalistic writing. It carries a distinctly pejorative connotation of greed, self-indulgence, or undeserved privilege.
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined in 1920s American political journalism by writer Frank R. Kent to describe wealthy individuals who made large financial contributions to political campaigns in exchange for influence and recognition.