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

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

big business

Death is big business in Ivory Coast, where families are expected to say goodbye to their loved ones with massive, music-fuelled feasts tinged with moments of both joy and sadness.

From Barron's ● Nov. 4, 2026

It’s no secret there’s big business in scaring people: Horror movies are a box office staple, often costing the least to produce and resulting in the biggest profits.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 26, 2026

The nutrition supplement market is a big business, with hundreds of brightly coloured recovery drinks and capsules promising reduced soreness and faster recovery.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 14, 2026

OpenAI’s models still may not be as adept as Anthropic’s in coding or other big business applications.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026

American universities, already beginning to enjoy the fruits of collaboration with big business, duly put this relationship to work.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

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Related Words

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

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