small business

[ smawl biz-nis ]

noun

1. a profit-seeking enterprise or concern that is independently owned and operated, has a limited number of employees, and is not nationally dominant in its field.

Word History and Origins

Origin of small business¹

An Americanism dating back to 1910–15

Example Sentences

Being in an indie band is running a never-ending, rewarding, scary, low-margin small business.

From The Daily Beast

For instance, this year both New York and New Jersey enacted laws guaranteeing paid sick leave to small-business employees.

From The Daily Beast

She sees the decline of small business in New York as a damning indictment of Cuomo.

From The Daily Beast

The large “too big to fail” banks received huge bailouts, but have remained reluctant to loan to small business.

From The Daily Beast

So not only were they anti-Clinton, but they were anti-American small business and anti-generosity!

From The Daily Beast

After peace was declared he remained there making a small business venture in grains.

From Project Gutenberg

So by coach to the Tangier Committee, and there have another small business by which I may get a little small matter of money.

From Project Gutenberg

The proper distribution of these to the 147 National Forests is no small business organization in itself.

From Project Gutenberg

How often she had dreamed of the small business envelope, addressed in an unfamiliar hand, which might one day appear there!

From Project Gutenberg

It is a small business for me, and I don't know how I can descend any lower than to take hold of the hon. member for Ohio.

From Project Gutenberg