business

[ biz-nis ]

noun

1. an occupation, profession, or trade:

   His business is poultry farming.

   Synonyms: employment, vocation, calling

2. the purchase and sale of goods in an attempt to make a profit.

   Synonyms: traffic, trade, commerce

3. a person, partnership, or corporation engaged in commerce, manufacturing, or a service; profit-seeking enterprise or concern.

   Synonyms: firm, company

4. volume of trade; patronage:

   Most of the store's business comes from local families.

5. a building or site where commercial work is carried on, as a factory, store, or office; place of work:

   His business is on the corner of Broadway and Elm Street.

6. that with which a person is principally and seriously concerned:

   Words are a writer's business.

7. something with which a person is rightfully concerned:

   What they are doing is none of my business.

8. affair; project:

   We were exasperated by the whole business.

9. an assignment or task; chore:

   It's your business to wash the dishes now.

10. Also called piece of business, Theater. a movement or gesture, especially a minor one, used by an actor to give expressiveness, drama, detail, etc., to a scene or to help portray a character.
11. excrement: used as a euphemism.

adjective

1. of, noting, or pertaining to business, its organization, or its procedures.
2. containing, suitable for, or welcoming business or commerce:

   New York is a good business town.

business

/ ˈbɪznɪs /

noun

1. a trade or profession
2. an industrial, commercial, or professional operation; purchase and sale of goods and services

   the tailoring business

3. a commercial or industrial establishment, such as a firm or factory
4. commercial activity; dealings (esp in the phrase do business )
5. volume or quantity of commercial activity

   business is poor today

6. commercial policy or procedure

   overcharging is bad business

7. proper or rightful concern or responsibility (often in the phrase mind one's own business )
8. a special task; assignment
9. a matter or matters to be attended to

   the business of the meeting

10. an affair; matter

    a queer business

    I'm tired of the whole business

11. serious work or activity

    get down to business

12. a complicated affair; rigmarole
13. informal.
    a vaguely defined collection or area

    jets, fast cars, and all that business

14. Also calledstage business theatre an incidental action, such as lighting a pipe, performed by an actor for dramatic effect
15. a group of ferrets
16. euphemistic.
    defecation (esp in the phrase do one's business )
17. slang.
    prostitution
18. like nobody's business informal.
    like nobody's business extremely well or fast
19. mean business
    mean business to be in earnest
20. do the business informal.
    do the business to achieve what is required

    it tastes vile, but it does the business

Pronunciation Note

See isn't.

Other Words From

• an·ti·busi·ness adjective
• in·ter·busi·ness adjective
• mul·ti·busi·ness adjective
• non·busi·ness adjective
• o·ver·bus·i·ness noun
• pro·busi·ness adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of business¹

First recorded before 950; Middle English; Old English bisignes; busy + -ness

Word History and Origins

Origin of business¹

Old English bisignis solicitude, attentiveness, from bisig busy + -nis -ness

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. business is business, profit has precedence over personal considerations:

   He is reluctant to fire his friend, but business is business.

2. do one's business, (usually of an animal or child) to defecate or urinate:

   housebreaking a puppy to do his business outdoors.

3. get down to business, to apply oneself to serious matters; concentrate on work:

   They finally got down to business and signed the contract.

4. give someone the business, Informal.
   1. to make difficulties for someone; treat harshly:

      Instead of a straight answer they give him the business with a needless run-around.

   2. to scold severely; give a tongue-lashing to:

      The passengers will give the bus driver the business if he keeps driving so recklessly.

5. have no business, to have no right:

   You have no business coming into this house.

6. mean business, to propose to take action or be serious in intent; be in earnest:

   By the fire in his eye we knew that he meant business.

7. mind one's own business, to refrain from meddling in the affairs of others:

   When he inquired about the noise coming from the neighbor's apartment, he was told to mind his own business.

More idioms and phrases containing business

In addition to the idiom beginning with business , also see funny business ; get down to (business) ; go about (one's business) ; have no business doing ; land-office business ; like mad (nobody's business) ; make it one's business ; mean business ; mind one's own business ; monkey business ; none of one's business ; out of business ; send someone about his or her business ; the business .

Synonym Study

See occupation.

Example Sentences

It’s unconscionable to go home before the election without helping families and small businesses, and I think there’s a deep recognition that now, at this point, that it’s simply impossible to go home without getting something done.

From Washington Post

Another idea circulating in the House is to pass individual bills, such as new business loans or unemployment help, just to show or remind Americans that House Democrats are trying to help.

From Washington Post

The full restrictions at issue have now eased, but a variety of limitations on businesses and gatherings remain in effect.

From Washington Post

Before the coronavirus pandemic shuttered businesses and sent unemployment soaring, the president could certainly brag about the state of the economy in his first three years as president.

From Washington Post

The plan calls for accelerating access to reconstruction funding, forgiving disaster relief loans to municipalities and bolstering local businesses.

From Washington Post

I was a little mystified at how benignly he responded to my questions about his business activities.

From The Daily Beast

This reporter knocked at the Wilkins home on Tuesday morning but received neither an answer nor the business end of a shotgun.

From The Daily Beast

“Competition is there, of course, but I think there is enough business for everyone as long as the demand is there,” he says.

From The Daily Beast

Last March they gave Airbus a huge piece of new business, ordering 169 A320s and 65 of the slightly larger A321.

From The Daily Beast

Together, they crossed over the International Bridges on foot into Juarez to conduct some business.

From The Daily Beast

He remembered something—the cherished pose of being a man plunged fathoms-deep in business.

From Project Gutenberg

A letter from Fajardo to the king (December 10, 1621) concerns various matters of administration and business.

From Project Gutenberg

The father of Mr. Stacy Marks predestined him for the coach-building business.

From Project Gutenberg

That, and a range war that grew out of the killing, and some kind of a business deal just about broke them.

From Project Gutenberg

But he could not bear the reflection, and with fevered impatience, he hurried through the business of the morning.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• corporation
• factory
• firm
• house
• institution
• market
• organization
• partnership
• shop
• store
• venture

How Do You Spell Business?

Spelling tips for business

The word business is hard to spell for two reasons. First, it isn’t spelled like it sounds [ biz-nis ], resulting in many people leaving out the middle i. Second, it can be difficult to remember whether the s should be doubled in the first syllable, in the second, or in both. 

How to spell business: The word business is similar to the word busyness, which means “the quality or condition of being busy.” Both words use the suffix -ness. But busyness keeps its y, while business puts i in the middle.

More About Business

What does business mean?

Business is the sale of goods or services to try to make a profit, as in Restaurants are a tough business, with many restaurants closing in the first few years.

Business is also used to refer to any person or group of people that operate with the purpose of making money, as in Yen and Tao went into business walking the dogs in their neighborhood.

Business is also used to refer to the sales and money brought in by a business, as in Even though we had a lot of visitors to the store, business was slow over the weekend.

Business has many other senses related to work and trade, but it can also refer to someone’s personal concern or interest. Your feelings, for example, are your own business.

Business can also be used as an adjective to describe anything related to the workings of a profession or exchange of money, as in The business office is closed on weekends, but the store is usually open.

Example: Some small businesses make more money in this town than the chains do.

Where does business come from?

The first records of the term business come from before the year 950. It comes from the Old English bisignes. It combines the term busy, meaning “engaging in work,” and the suffix –ness, which turns adjectives into nouns related to quality or state.

Business is such a large part of human life that it’s no wonder we use it in so many ways. It turns up in a lot of idioms, like get down to business, meaning “concentrate on work.” If you mean business, you are serious about something. And if someone tells you business is business, they mean that making money is more important than personal matters.

Business as someone’s primary or rightful concern also gives us a lot of idioms. If you tell someone to mind their own business, you’re telling them to leave your concerns alone. A person that has no business talking to you rudely has no right to talk to you that way. And if you understand words like nobody’s business, you understand them very well. Maybe you should go into the dictionary business!

Did you know … ?

What are some other forms related to business?

• antibusiness (adjective)
• interbusiness (adjective)
• multibusiness (adjective)
• nonbusiness (adjective)
• probusiness (adjective)

What are some synonyms for business?

• employment
• field
• corporation
• commerce
• interest

What are some words that share a root or word element with business?

• busy
• business administration
• business as usual
• business casual
• business end

What are some words that often get used in discussing business?

• loss
• money
• owner
• profit

How is business used in real life?

Business is a very common word with many senses, most often related to work.

Don’t assume, ask. And if you’re uncomfortable asking, just mind your business.

— 40 (@40oz_VAN) August 25, 2020

My bosses have approved a new business card for me:
Jon Sopel
Another Beauty
North America Editor

— Jon Sopel (@jonsopel) February 16, 2017

People saying I'm making this channel for "more" money have no business sense at all. There's half a dozen better ways for me to make more.

— ShadyPenguinn (@Shadypenguinn) September 8, 2017

 

 

Try using business!

Which of the following is NOT a synonym for business?

A. employment
B. entertainment
C. profession
D. job