business cycle

American  

noun

1. a recurrent fluctuation in the total business activity of a country.

---

business cycle British  

noun

1. Also called: trade cycle.  the recurrent fluctuation between boom and depression in the economic activity of a capitalist country

---

business cycle Cultural  

1. A period during which business activity reaches a low point, recovers, expands, reaches a high point, decreases to a new low point, and so on.

---

Etymology

Origin of business cycle

First recorded in 1920–25

Example Sentences

Founders including Huu and Vinh said the current downturn is part of a natural business cycle, and stronger firms would eventually emerge offering better products.

From Barron's • Feb. 15, 2026

It is based on 10 components, among them manufacturers’ new orders, building permits for new private housing units, stock prices and consumer expectations, and aims to signal shifts in the business cycle.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 9, 2025

Equities, by contrast, still have pockets of structural upside thanks to AI and productivity themes that are not directly tied to the business cycle.

From MarketWatch • Oct. 30, 2025

Mark says that businesses like his can be loyal to workers and take long-term decisions, riding through the peaks and troughs of the business cycle.

From BBC • Nov. 21, 2024

I should expect this sort of thing to happen normally, and not infrequently, and I should expect gold to come in and go out many times in the course of a business cycle.

From The Value of Money by Anderson, Benjamin M.