business

[ biz-nis ]

/ ˈbɪz nɪs /

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See synonyms for: business / businesses on Thesaurus.com

noun

an occupation, profession, or trade: His business is poultry farming.

the purchase and sale of goods in an attempt to make a profit.

a person, partnership, or corporation engaged in commerce, manufacturing, or a service; profit-seeking enterprise or concern.

volume of trade; patronage: Most of the store's business comes from local families.

a building or site where commercial work is carried on, as a factory, store, or office; place of work: His business is on the corner of Broadway and Elm Street.

that with which a person is principally and seriously concerned: Words are a writer's business.

something with which a person is rightfully concerned: What they are doing is none of my business.

affair; project: We were exasperated by the whole business.

an assignment or task; chore: It's your business to wash the dishes now.

Also called piece of business, stage business. Theater. a movement or gesture, especially a minor one, used by an actor to give expressiveness, drama, detail, etc., to a scene or to help portray a character.

excrement: used as a euphemism.

adjective

of, noting, or pertaining to business, its organization, or its procedures.

containing, suitable for, or welcoming business or commerce: New York is a good business town.

SYNONYMS FOR business

1 calling, vocation, employment.

2 commerce, trade, traffic.

3 company, firm.

See synonyms for business on Thesaurus.com

QUIZZES

QUIZ YOURSELF ON AFFECT VS. EFFECT!

In effect, this quiz will prove whether or not you have the skills to know the difference between “affect” and “effect.”

Question 1 of 7

The rainy weather could not ________ my elated spirits on my graduation day.

affect

effect

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Idioms for business

business is business, profit has precedence over personal considerations: He is reluctant to fire his friend, but business is business.

do one's business, (usually of an animal or child) to defecate or urinate: housebreaking a puppy to do his business outdoors.

get down to business, to apply oneself to serious matters; concentrate on work: They finally got down to business and signed the contract.

give someone the business, Informal.

to make difficulties for someone; treat harshly: Instead of a straight answer they give him the business with a needless run-around.
to scold severely; give a tongue-lashing to: The passengers will give the bus driver the business if he keeps driving so recklessly.

have no business, to have no right: You have no business coming into this house.

mean business, to propose to take action or be serious in intent; be in earnest: By the fire in his eye we knew that he meant business.

mind one's own business, to refrain from meddling in the affairs of others: When he inquired about the noise coming from the neighbor's apartment, he was told to mind his own business.

Origin of business

before 950; Middle English; Old English bisignes.See busy, -ness

synonym study for business

1. See occupation.

pronunciation note for business

See isn't.

OTHER WORDS FROM business

an·ti·busi·ness, adjectivein·ter·busi·ness, adjectivemul·ti·busi·ness, adjectivenon·busi·ness, adjective

o·ver·bus·i·ness, nounpro·busi·ness, adjective

Words nearby business

bushwhacker, bush wren, bushy, bushy-tailed, busily, business, business administration, business agent, business angel, business as usual, Business before pleasure

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Example sentences from the Web for business

It’s unconscionable to go home before the election without helping families and small businesses, and I think there’s a deep recognition that now, at this point, that it’s simply impossible to go home without getting something done.
Trump moves closer to Pelosi in economic aid talks, and House speaker must decide next move|Rachael Bade, Erica Werner|September 17, 2020|Washington Post
Another idea circulating in the House is to pass individual bills, such as new business loans or unemployment help, just to show or remind Americans that House Democrats are trying to help.
Why House Democrats have good reason to be anxious about no coronavirus relief deal|Amber Phillips|September 17, 2020|Washington Post
The full restrictions at issue have now eased, but a variety of limitations on businesses and gatherings remain in effect.
Courts may reconsider temporary coronavirus restrictions as pandemic drags on|Anne Gearan, Karin Brulliard|September 16, 2020|Washington Post
Before the coronavirus pandemic shuttered businesses and sent unemployment soaring, the president could certainly brag about the state of the economy in his first three years as president.
Trump’s ABC News town hall: Four Pinocchios, over and over again|Glenn Kessler|September 16, 2020|Washington Post

The plan calls for accelerating access to reconstruction funding, forgiving disaster relief loans to municipalities and bolstering local businesses.
Biden visits Florida as Democrats worry about his standing in the state|Sean Sullivan|September 15, 2020|Washington Post
I was a little mystified at how benignly he responded to my questions about his business activities.
I Tried to Warn You About Sleazy Billionaire Jeffrey Epstein in 2003|Vicky Ward|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
This reporter knocked at the Wilkins home on Tuesday morning but received neither an answer nor the business end of a shotgun.
The 7-Year-Old Plane Crash Survivor’s Brutal Journey Through the Woods|James Higdon|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
“Competition is there, of course, but I think there is enough business for everyone as long as the demand is there,” he says.
Ghost Ships of the Mediterranean|Barbie Latza Nadeau|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Last March they gave Airbus a huge piece of new business, ordering 169 A320s and 65 of the slightly larger A321.
Annoying Airport Delays Might Prevent You From Becoming the Next AirAsia 8501|Clive Irving|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Together, they crossed over the International Bridges on foot into Juarez to conduct some business.
An Informant, a Missing American, and Juarez’s House of Death: Inside the 12-Year Cold Case of David Castro|Bill Conroy|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
He remembered something—the cherished pose of being a man plunged fathoms-deep in business.
St. Martin's Summer|Rafael Sabatini
A letter from Fajardo to the king (December 10, 1621) concerns various matters of administration and business.
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume XX, 1621-1624|Various
The father of Mr. Stacy Marks predestined him for the coach-building business.
Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 107, November 3, 1894|Various
That, and a range war that grew out of the killing, and some kind of a business deal just about broke them.
Raw Gold|Bertrand W. Sinclair
But he could not bear the reflection, and with fevered impatience, he hurried through the business of the morning.
The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4|Jane Porter

British Dictionary definitions for business

business

/ (ˈbɪznɪs) /

noun

a trade or profession

an industrial, commercial, or professional operation; purchase and sale of goods and servicesthe tailoring business

a commercial or industrial establishment, such as a firm or factory

commercial activity; dealings (esp in the phrase do business)

volume or quantity of commercial activitybusiness is poor today

commercial policy or procedureovercharging is bad business

proper or rightful concern or responsibility (often in the phrase mind one's own business)

a special task; assignment

a matter or matters to be attended tothe business of the meeting

an affair; mattera queer business; I'm tired of the whole business

serious work or activityget down to business

a complicated affair; rigmarole

informal a vaguely defined collection or areajets, fast cars, and all that business

Also called: stage business theatre an incidental action, such as lighting a pipe, performed by an actor for dramatic effect

a group of ferrets

euphemistic defecation (esp in the phrase do one's business)

slang prostitution

like nobody's business informal extremely well or fast

mean business to be in earnest

do the business informal to achieve what is requiredit tastes vile, but it does the business

Word Origin for business

Old English bisignis solicitude, attentiveness, from bisig busy + -nis -ness

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Idioms and Phrases with business

business

In addition to the idiom beginning with business

business as usual

also see:

funny business
get down to (business)
go about (one's business)
have no business doing
land-office business
like mad (nobody's business)
make it one's business
mean business
mind one's own business
monkey business
none of one's business
out of business
send someone about his or her business
the business

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