chaebol
noun
chae·bol
ˈchÄ-ËŒbÅl 
ˈje-ˌbəl
plural chaebol also chaebols
: a family-controlled industrial conglomerate in South Korea
Examples of chaebol in a Sentence
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That forward-thinking approach can be attributed to late chairman Lee Kun-Hee, who pushed Samsung, one of the mega-conglomerates or chaebols that dominate South Korea’s economy, to ditch its reputation as a fast follower and compete with the best companies in consumer tech.
—
Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 6 Jan. 2026
Rapper Annie is the first chaebol heiress K-pop idol.
—Jae-Ha Kim, Rolling Stone, 8 Dec. 2025
The history of this chaebol (a South Korean conglomerate run and controlled by an individual or family) comes in a gossipy soap-opera style that makes for easy reading.
—Simon Hill, Wired News, 17 Nov. 2025
Other top gainers also included SK Inc, the holding company of South Korea’s second largest chaebol — or family-run conglomerate — SK Group, which was up about 9.29%.
—Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 9 Nov. 2025
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Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 6 Jan. 2026
Rapper Annie is the first chaebol heiress K-pop idol.
—Jae-Ha Kim, Rolling Stone, 8 Dec. 2025
The history of this chaebol (a South Korean conglomerate run and controlled by an individual or family) comes in a gossipy soap-opera style that makes for easy reading.
—Simon Hill, Wired News, 17 Nov. 2025
Other top gainers also included SK Inc, the holding company of South Korea’s second largest chaebol — or family-run conglomerate — SK Group, which was up about 9.29%.
—Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 9 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for chaebol
Cite this Entry
“Chaebol.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chaebol. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.
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