business

[biz-nis] /ˈbɪz nɪs/
noun
1.
an occupation, profession, or trade:
His business is poultry farming.
2.
the purchase and sale of goods in an attempt to make a profit.
3.
a person, partnership, or corporation engaged in commerce, manufacturing, or a service; profit-seeking enterprise or concern.
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, stage 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
12.
of, noting, or pertaining to business, its organization, or its procedures.
13.
containing, suitable for, or welcoming business or commerce:
New York is a good business town.
Idioms
14.
business is business, profit has precedence over personal considerations:
He is reluctant to fire his friend, but business is business.
15.
do one's business, (usually of an animal or child) to defecate or urinate:
housebreaking a puppy to do his business outdoors.
16.
get down to business, to apply oneself to serious matters; concentrate on work:
They finally got down to business and signed the contract.
17.
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.
18.
have no business, to have no right:
You have no business coming into this house.
19.
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.
20.
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.
Origin
before 950; Middle English; Old English bisignes. See busy, -ness
Related forms
antibusiness, adjective
interbusiness, adjective
multibusiness, adjective
nonbusiness, adjective
overbusiness, noun
probusiness, adjective
Synonyms
1. calling, vocation, employment. See occupation. 2. commerce, trade, traffic. 3. company, firm.
Pronunciation note
See isn't.
Examples from the web for business
  • Happily for him, and the prospects of his eventual fortune, his business interests align perfectly with his personal philosophy.
  • Rather, the approach adopted by the successful company works in concert with other business-development activities.
  • In truth, the company is going to be judged not on business results but on whether it broke the law.
  • Last summer I became a junior professor of business ethics.
  • New research finds that business students lie more often in e-mail than when communicating using pen and paper.
  • Comics is a business of personalities.
  • He acknowledges that people are extremely selfish, and the business world is set up to bring this out in people.
  • It's time for you to develop a business plan.
  • In today's globally connected society, the demands on business leaders are many.
  • It's an extensive plan, covering everything from health to education to business.
British Dictionary definitions for business

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.
(theatre) Also called stage business. 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.
(informal) like nobody's business, extremely well or fast
19.
mean business, to be in earnest
20.
(informal) do the business, to achieve what is required: it tastes vile, but it does the business
Word Origin
Old English bisignis solicitude, attentiveness, from bisigbusy + -nis-ness
Word Origin and History for business
n.

Old English bisignes (Northumbrian) "care, anxiety, occupation," from bisig "careful, anxious, busy, occupied, diligent" (see busy (adj.)) + -ness. Middle English sense of "state of being much occupied or engaged" (mid-14c.) is obsolete, replaced by busyness.

Sense of "a person's work, occupation" is first recorded late 14c. (in late Old English bisig (adj.) appears as a noun with the sense "occupation, state of employment"). Meaning "what one is about at the moment" is from 1590s. Sense of "trade, commercial engagements" is first attested 1727. In 17c. it also could mean "sexual intercourse." Modern two-syllable pronunciation is 17c.

Business card first attested 1840; business letter from 1766. Business end "the practical or effective part" (of something) is American English, by 1874. Phrase business as usual attested from 1865. To mean business "be intent on serious action" is from 1856. To mind (one's) own business is from 1620s. Johnson's dictionary also has busiless "At leisure; without business; unemployed."

Slang definitions & phrases for business

business

noun

Excrement, esp that of a house pet (1645+)

Related Terms

in business, know one's onions, monkey business, that's show business


Idioms and Phrases with business

business

In addition to the idiom beginning with
business
also see:
Encyclopedia Article for business

The collapse of the subprime mortgage market by mid-2007, though long predicted, wreaked havoc on both the housing and financial industries (several major banks posted mortgage-related losses in the billions of dollars) and resulted in a major credit crunch that impaired many businesses' ability to secure short-term financing. (See Sidebar: United States.)

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