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

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

big business

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 scheme has the backing of some big business names, including investment giant BlackRock, which said about 40% of Americans have no exposure to financial markets.

From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026

Sports are big business for prediction markets, and soccer is the number-one sport outside of the U.S.

From Barron's ● Jun. 11, 2026

In a separate poll last year, 37% had a positive view of big business, down from 58% in 2012.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 10, 2026

Going into the Renaissance, artificial memory continued as big business.

From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith

Related Words

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