business
OTHER WORDS FOR business
Idioms about business
synonym study for business
how to pronounce business
OTHER WORDS FROM business
Words nearby business
MORE ABOUT BUSINESS
What does business mean?
Business is the sale of goods or services to try to make a profit, as in Restaurants are a tough business, with many restaurants closing in the first few years.
Business is also used to refer to any person or group of people that operate with the purpose of making money, as in Yen and Tao went into business walking the dogs in their neighborhood.
Business is also used to refer to the sales and money brought in by a business, as in Even though we had a lot of visitors to the store, business was slow over the weekend.
Business has many other senses related to work and trade, but it can also refer to someone’s personal concern or interest. Your feelings, for example, are your own business.
Business can also be used as an adjective to describe anything related to the workings of a profession or exchange of money, as in The business office is closed on weekends, but the store is usually open.
Example: Some small businesses make more money in this town than the chains do.
Where does business come from?
The first records of the term business come from before the year 950. It comes from the Old English bisignes. It combines the term busy, meaning “engaging in work,” and the suffix –ness, which turns adjectives into nouns related to quality or state.
Business is such a large part of human life that it’s no wonder we use it in so many ways. It turns up in a lot of idioms, like get down to business, meaning “concentrate on work.” If you mean business, you are serious about something. And if someone tells you business is business, they mean that making money is more important than personal matters.
Business as someone’s primary or rightful concern also gives us a lot of idioms. If you tell someone to mind their own business, you’re telling them to leave your concerns alone. A person that has no business talking to you rudely has no right to talk to you that way. And if you understand words like nobody’s business, you understand them very well. Maybe you should go into the dictionary business!
Did you know … ?
What are some other forms related to business?
- antibusiness (adjective)
- interbusiness (adjective)
- multibusiness (adjective)
- nonbusiness (adjective)
- probusiness (adjective)
What are some synonyms for business?
What are some words that share a root or word element with business?
What are some words that often get used in discussing business?
How is business used in real life?
Business is a very common word with many senses, most often related to work.
Don’t assume, ask. And if you’re uncomfortable asking, just mind your business.
— 40 (@40oz_VAN) August 25, 2020
My bosses have approved a new business card for me:
Jon Sopel
Another Beauty
North America Editor— Jon Sopel (@jonsopel) February 16, 2017
People saying I'm making this channel for "more" money have no business sense at all. There's half a dozen better ways for me to make more.
— ShadyPenguinn (@Shadypenguinn) September 8, 2017
Try using business!
Which of the following is NOT a synonym for business?
A. employment
B. entertainment
C. profession
D. job