# zaibatsu

> English word · Noun · IPA /zaɪˈbætsuː/ · frequency rank #88,011

## Definitions
1. A large business conglomerate founded under the Empire of Japan, generally controlled by a single family or individual.
2. Any large corporation.

## Etymology
Borrowed from Japanese 財閥(ざいばつ) (zaibatsu), coined from Middle Chinese 財 (d͡zoj, “wealth”) + 閥 (bjot, “powerful family”). Doublet of chaebol.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/zaibatsu