businesslike
Americanadjective
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conforming to, attending to, or characteristic of business.
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efficient, practical, or realistic.
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capable but unenthusiastic.
adjective
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efficient and methodical
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earnest or severe
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of businesslike
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.
Get ready for spaceflight to become routine, businesslike and maybe even cost-effective.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026
"The pretexts used to justify such actions are untenable. Ideological hostility has triumphed over businesslike pragmatism," it added.
From Barron's • Jan. 3, 2026
The early portion of practice open to reporters Monday evening reflected a subdued, businesslike vibe in which the most pep came over loudspeakers with the playing of Elvis’ “Viva Las Vegas.”
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 2, 2025
In front of the world's cameras, the two exchanged warm words, and a businesslike handshake, which set the tone for a generally respectful relationship.
From BBC • Aug. 14, 2025
Though on a psychological level his manner was almost painfully intimate, superficially it was businesslike and cold.
From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt
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.
