show business
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of show business
First recorded in 1925–30
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.
In the epigraph to one of her chapters, Ms. Footer quotes Sammy Davis Jr.: “Part of show business is magic. You don’t know how it happens.”
From The Wall Street Journal • May 20, 2026
For other celebrities, including Jonna Lumley, Bill Bailey and Sir Brian May, they found there's gnome business like show business.
From BBC • May 18, 2026
YouTube’s annual upfront gatherings used to have the feel of an alternative show business universe, with personalities who built their rabid followings on the streaming platform far away from the audiences for traditional TV.
From Los Angeles Times • May 16, 2026
“Submissions to the U.S. government consultation processes show business essentially wants a single agreement,” McAdoo adds.
From Barron's • Apr. 23, 2026
Roy’s mother kept track of the actress’s soaring career in the show business columns, where it was reported that she’d signed a deal to appear in the next Adam Sandler movie.
From "Hoot" by Carl Hiaasen
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.
