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Business
Definitions
- 1 Of, to, pertaining to, or used for purposes of conducting trade, commerce, governance, advocacy or other professional purposes.
"Please do not use this phone for personal calls; it is a business phone."
- 2 Professional, businesslike, having concern for good business practice.
"He is thoroughly business, but has the happy faculty of transacting it in a genial and courteous manner."
- 3 Supporting business, conducive to the conduct of business.
"Amiens is a thoroughly business town, the business being chiefly with the flax-works."
- 1 A specific commercial enterprise or establishment. countable
"I left my father's business."
- 2 incidental activity performed by an actor for dramatic effect wordnet
- 3 A person's occupation, work, or trade. countable
"He is in the motor and insurance businesses."
- 4 the principal activity in your life that you do to earn money wordnet
- 5 Commercial, industrial, or professional activity. uncountable
"He's such a poor cook, I can't believe he's still in business!"
Show 24 more definitions
- 6 the activity of providing goods and services involving financial and commercial and industrial aspects wordnet
- 7 The volume or amount of commercial trade. uncountable
"Business has been slow lately."
- 8 the volume of commercial activity wordnet
- 9 One's dealings; patronage. uncountable
"I shall take my business elsewhere."
- 10 a rightful concern or responsibility wordnet
- 11 Private commercial interests taken collectively. uncountable
"This proposal will satisfy both business and labor."
- 12 an immediate objective wordnet
- 13 The management of commercial enterprises, or the study of such management. uncountable
"I studied business at Harvard."
- 14 business concerns collectively wordnet
- 15 A particular situation or activity. countable
"This UFO stuff is a mighty strange business."
- 16 a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it wordnet
- 17 Any activity or objective needing to be dealt with; especially, one of a financial or legal matter. countable
"Our principal business here is to get drunk."
- 18 customers collectively wordnet
- 19 Something involving one personally. uncountable
"That's none of your business."
- 20 Matters that come before a body for deliberation or action. uncountable
"If that concludes the announcements, we'll move on to new business."
- 21 Business class, the class of seating provided by airlines between first class and coach. uncountable
"Gates, who always flew business or coach, didn't particularly like the high air fares Nishi was charging to Microsoft,[…]"
- 22 Ellipsis of stage business (“aspect of acting”). abbreviation, alt-of, countable, ellipsis, uncountable
"The business with the hat is a fine example of the difficulty of distinguishing between 'natural' and 'formal' acting."
- 23 Hollywood, the entertainment industry. countable, informal, uncountable
- 24 Prostitution. countable, slang, uncountable
- 25 The collective noun for a group of ferrets. countable, rare
"I'm sure his goons will go through the ship like a business of ferrets, and they'll want to look in our baggage."
- 26 Something very good; top quality. British, countable, slang, uncountable
"These new phones are the business!"
- 27 The act of defecation, or the excrement itself, particularly that of a non-human animal. slang, uncountable
"Your ferret left his business all over the floor."
- 28 Disruptive shenanigans. countable, slang, uncountable
"I haven't seen cartoons giving someone the business since the 1990s."
- 29 Matters. countable, uncountable
"sorry business"
Etymology
From Middle English busines, busynes, businesse, bisynes, from Old English bisiġnes (“business, busyness”), equivalent to busy + -ness. Doublet of busyness. Sense 17 (something very good, top quality), possibly derives from "the bee's knees"
From Middle English busines, busynes, businesse, bisynes, from Old English bisiġnes (“business, busyness”), equivalent to busy + -ness. Doublet of busyness. Sense 17 (something very good, top quality), possibly derives from "the bee's knees"
See also for "business"
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