big business
Americannoun
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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.
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any large organization of a noncommercial nature resembling this.
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any large business enterprise.
noun
Etymology
Origin of big business
An Americanism dating back to 1900–05
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Wall Street isn’t giving Arm Holdings enough credit for a big business transformation, according to an analyst.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 20, 2026
“We kept talking about these tropes from ‘80s movies of slobs versus snobs,” and how it mirrored the mom-and-pop shop versus big business dynamic.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 20, 2026
The most important night in Hollywood has become big business for prediction markets.
From Barron's • Mar. 16, 2026
It’s exactly why the Guthrie case has become big business for so many media entities, independent or otherwise.
From Slate • Feb. 23, 2026
“All right, then. Today is the day we’ve been waiting for,” Mrs. Tracy said, starting the big business of the morning.
From "Firegirl" by Tony Abbott
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.