big business
Americannoun
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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.
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any large organization of a noncommercial nature resembling this.
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any large business enterprise.
noun
Etymology
Origin of big business
An Americanism dating back to 1900–05
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.
The upshot is that longevity, i.e. not only living longer but being healthy for longer, could be big business for healthcare companies.
From Barron's • Jun. 18, 2026
A smaller oil producer and less affluent country than most of its peers in the Persian Gulf, Muscat lacks the muscle inside the Beltway that comes with big business and military contracts.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 2, 2026
Despite that forecast, Intel still expects packaging to become a big business.
From MarketWatch • May 11, 2026
But time and time again, regular Americans who have been harmed by big business have sought redress for their harms in court.
From Slate • Apr. 27, 2026
“All right, then. Today is the day we’ve been waiting for,” Mrs. Tracy said, starting the big business of the morning.
From "Firegirl" by Tony Abbott
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.
