small business
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of small business
An Americanism dating back to 1910–15
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.
On a recent trip to Lipetsk region, small business owners told me they were struggling to stay afloat.
From BBC • Jun. 7, 2026
“We would genuinely love to have a deeper conversation about what it’s like to try and open and run a small business in New York City,” Hivernat says.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 5, 2026
After Kalshi CEO Tarek Mansour posted on X about the promotion, social-media users responded by pointing out that a small business hedging potential losses tied to a promotion wasn’t exactly a new concept.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 2, 2026
That it’s easy for people to start a small business and grow their families right here in the communities that they love.
From Salon • Jun. 2, 2026
I started a small business of charging a penny to lend one out.
From "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane
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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.