big business

American  

noun

1. large business, commercial, and financial firms taken collectively, especially when considered as a group having shared attitudes and goals and exercising control over economic policy, politics, etc.

2. any large organization of a noncommercial nature resembling this.

3. any large business enterprise.

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big business British  

noun

1. large commercial organizations collectively, esp when considered as exploitative or socially harmful

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big business Cultural  

1. Large corporations, as opposed to small individually or family-owned businesses.

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Etymology

Origin of big business

An Americanism dating back to 1900–05

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

big business

For TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, Nolan films are typically big business.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026

In January, BBC Sport highlighted how Manchester City, as a separate entity, has turned selling players nurtured in their academy into big business.

From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2026

More likely, it would persuade big business to pursue due diligence instead of profits over people and the environment.

From Salon ● Aug. 19, 2026

She caught a break when a senior colleague missed a flight, and leading a big business meeting suddenly fell to her.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026

Astronauts were big business, particularly since American Alan Shepard had been launched into space on May 5, 1961, three weeks after Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin.

From "Women in Space" by Karen Bush Gibson

Related Words

• business
• commerce
• corporation
• management
• production
• trade