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

Sports are big business for prediction markets, and soccer is the number-one sport outside of the U.S.

From Barron's • Jun. 11, 2026

In a separate poll last year, 37% had a positive view of big business, down from 58% in 2012.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 10, 2026

Despite that forecast, Intel still expects packaging to become a big business.

From MarketWatch • May 11, 2026

But time and time again, regular Americans who have been harmed by big business have sought redress for their harms in court.

From Slate • Apr. 27, 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

Related Words

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