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.
Remakes are big business in the gaming industry - something gaming expert Christopher Dring said can come down to "financial necessity".
From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026
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
Despite that forecast, Intel still expects packaging to become a big business.
From MarketWatch ● May 11, 2026
Louis XIV realized that the production and export of luxury goods could be big business, and Paris has been a point of pilgrimage for fashion lovers ever since.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 10, 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
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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.