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

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

For the music industry, David Bowie is big business.

From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026

For TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, Nolan films are typically big business.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026

Fishing is big business in Iceland, and European countries were unwilling to promise they wouldn’t use accession talks as leverage for access to Icelandic waters.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 7, 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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Related Words

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

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