Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A conglomerate of businesses, usually owned by a single family, especially in Korea.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun business, sometimes pejorative A large, family-controlled South Korean business conglomerate.

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Korean chaebeol (formed on the model of Japanese zaibatsu, zaibatsu, by using the Korean pronunciation of the two Chinese characters with which the Japanese word is written) : chae, wealth (from Early Middle Chinese, dzəj; see zaibatsu) + beol, powerful family (from Early Middle Chinese buat; see zaibatsu).]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Late 20th century, from Korean 재벌 ("財閥, jaebeol")

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Examples

  • Much of South Korea's wealth is concentrated in just a few dozen large conglomerates, known as chaebol, such as the Samsung group.

    Samsung's Image May Face New Bruise 2007

  • The Japanese call it keiretsu; the Koreans say chaebol; the Russian word is semibankirshchina; and the Americans label the cozy arrangement among industrialists, bankers and government officials crony capitalism.

    No Uncertain Terms William Safire 2003

  • The Japanese call it keiretsu; the Koreans say chaebol; the Russian word is semibankirshchina; and the Americans label the cozy arrangement among industrialists, bankers and government officials crony capitalism.

    No Uncertain Terms William Safire 2003

  • The Japanese call it keiretsu; the Koreans say chaebol; the Russian word is semibankirshchina; and the Americans label the cozy arrangement among industrialists, bankers and government officials crony capitalism.

    No Uncertain Terms William Safire 2003

  • The Japanese call it keiretsu; the Koreans say chaebol; the Russian word is semibankirshchina; and the Americans label the cozy arrangement among industrialists, bankers and government officials crony capitalism.

    No Uncertain Terms William Safire 2003

  • Mr. Ahn's latest move comes as family-owned conglomerates known as chaebol have become a key election issue because of their concentrated wealth and influence.

    NYT > Home Page By CHOE SANG-HUN 2012

  • Many of South Korea's largest companies, including Samsung Electronics Co. and Hyundai Motor Co., are or were part of family owned conglomerates known as "chaebol."

    BusinessWeek.com -- Top News 2011

  • SK Telecom's interest in Hynix shows how South Korean business conglomerates, known as chaebol, are making investments that aren't in the best interests of shareholders, Cochran said.

    BusinessWeek.com -- Top News 2011

  • SK Telecom's interest in Hynix shows how South Korean business conglomerates, known as chaebol, are making investments that aren't in the best interests of shareholders, Cochran said.

    BusinessWeek.com -- Top News 2011

  • Because of their concentrated wealth and influence, family-owned conglomerates known as chaebol have become a key election issue.

    NYT > Home Page By CHOE SANG-HUN 2012

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