Business — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun /ˈbiz-nəs/ busi·ness

Meaning & Definition of Business

Business (noun)

  1. a usually commercial or mercantile activity engaged in as a means of livelihood, trade, line
  2. a commercial or sometimes an industrial enterprise; also, such enterprises
  3. dealings or transactions especially of an economic nature, patronage

Business (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. transactions or economic support provided by customers

    "only places that are equal opportunity employers will get my business"

    similar: custom, patronage
    related: marketplace, trade, traffic, free trade, affairs, dealings, horse-trading, merchandising, retailing, wholesaling

  2. a commercial or industrial activity or organization

    "most of the local businesses belong to the association"

    similar: company, concern, enterprise, establishment, firm, house, interest, outfit
    related: conglomerate, corporation, multinational, association, cartel, chain, combine, syndicate, trust, agency, dealer, outlet, microenterprise

  3. something to be dealt with

    "we have one piece of business remaining for today's meeting"

    similar: affair, matter, thing, ball of wax
    related: consideration, issue, problem, crisis, crossroad(s), crunch, emergency, exigency, flash point, head, juncture, strait, zero hour, concern, trouble, worry, care, lookout, responsibility, deadlock, halt, impasse, stalemate, standstill, corner, fix, hole, hot water, jam, pickle, pinch, predicament, scrape, spot

  4. the buying and selling of goods especially on a large scale and between different places

    "this bookstore is a place of business, not a free library, so please do your reading elsewhere"

    similar: commerce, marketplace, trade, traffic
    related: free trade, black market, gray market, dealings, horse-trading, e-tail, merchandising, retailing, wholesaling, bartering

  5. the action for which a person or thing is specially fitted or used or for which a thing exists

    "plants going about the business of photosynthesis provide the Earth with a renewable source of oxygen"

    similar: capacity, function, job, part, place, position, purpose, role, task, work
    related: affair, concern, hand, involvement, participation, niche, office, post, situation, calling, occupation, pursuit, vocation, activity, assignment, charge, commission, duty, employ, mission, responsibility, service, use

  6. a region of activity, knowledge, or influence

    "if you want a medical malpractice lawyer, he's the best in the business"

    similar: area, arena, bailiwick, barony, circle, demesne, department, discipline, domain, element, fief, fiefdom, field, firmament, front, game, kingdom, line, precinct, province, realm, specialty, sphere, terrain, walk
    related: frontier, study, subject, territory, turf, occupation, profession, pursuit, racket, vocation, ambit, amplitude, breadth, compass, confine, dimension(s), extent, ken, reach, scope, sweep, width, subfield, subspecialty

  7. a specific task with which a person or group is charged

    "the interrogators demanded to know what business the suspect had in the restricted area at that time of night"

    similar: assignment, brief, charge, detail, job, mission, operation, post
    related: burden, chore, duty, need, obligation, office, requirement, responsibility, errand, labor, work, commitment, pledge, promise, appointment, commission, designation, nomination, compulsion, constraint, restraint

  8. the act or fact of violating the trust or confidence of another

    "the price for giving the drug lord the business was certain death"

    similar: backstabbing, betrayal, disloyalty, double cross, faithlessness, falseness, falsity, infidelity, perfidy, sellout, treachery, treason, two-timing, unfaithfulness
    related: abandonment, desertion, deceit, deception, double-dealing, duplicity, guile, two-facedness, fraud, informing, lying, snitching, talebearing, trickery
    opposite: allegiance, devotion, faithfulness, fealty, fidelity, loyalty, staunchness, steadfastness
    near: dependability, reliability, trustworthiness, defense, protection, safeguard, shield

Related Entry: Monkey business (noun)

Monkey business is a different word from Business. The synonyms below are for monkey business, not for business.

  1. wildly playful or mischievous behavior

    "the new nanny will not tolerate such monkey business from her charges"

    similar: buffoonery, clownery, clowning, foolery, high jinks, horseplay, horsing around, monkeying, monkeyshine(s), roughhouse, roughhousing, shenanigan(s), skylarking, slapstick, tomfoolery
    related: childishness, clownishness, foolishness, funning, jesting, joking, nonsense, silliness, waggery, boisterousness, rambunctiousness, rowdiness, rowdyism, rumbustiousness (chiefly British), devilry, impishness, knavery, mischief, mischievousness, prankishness, rascality, roguery, roguishness, trickery, cavorting, frivolity, frolicking, gamboling, merrymaking, playfulness, revelry, roistering, romping, sporting, sportiveness

Related Entry: Big business (noun)

Big business is a different word from Business. The synonyms below are for big business, not for business.

  1. as in organization, union

    similar: association, guild, organization, partnership, pool, union, cartel, combination, combine, syndicate, trust, chain, conglomerate, megacorporation, multinational

Related Entry: Show business (noun)

Show business is a different word from Business. The synonyms below are for show business, not for business.

  1. as in nightlife

    similar: nightlife, amusement, distraction, diversion, entertainment, recreation, delectation, delight, enjoyment, joy, mirth, gratification, relaxation, relief, satisfaction, exhibition, performance, presentation, presentment, production, show, spectacle, escapism

  2. as in showbiz

    similar: showbiz, Bollywood, Hollywood, big screen, cinema, film, filmdom, filmland, filmmaking, movie, moviemaking, pictures, screen, silver screen

Related Entry: Mean (verb)

Mean is a different word from Business. The synonyms below are for mean, not for business.

  1. to communicate or convey (as an idea) to the mind

    "the national anthem means various things to various people"

    similar: denote, express, import, intend, signify, spell
    related: connote, imply, suggest, add up (to), amount (to), hint, infer, insinuate, intimate, embody, epitomize, personify, represent, symbol, symbolize, advert, allude (to), cite, instance, mention, refer (to), specify, touch (on or upon), designate, indicate, point (to), signal, announce, declare, proclaim, elucidate, explain

  2. to be of importance

    "your presence at my graduation would mean a lot to me"

    similar: count, import, matter, signify, weigh, carry weight, cut ice
    related: affect, concern, influence, sway, add up (to), amount (to)

  3. to have in mind as a purpose or goal

    "I mean to win this race"

    similar: aim, allow (chiefly Southern & Midland), aspire, calculate, contemplate, design, go (chiefly Southern & Midland), intend, look, meditate, plan, propose, purport, purpose, figure on
    related: dream, hope, wish, consider, debate, mull (over), ponder, attempt, endeavor, strive, struggle, try, plot, scheme, accomplish, achieve, effect, execute, perform

  4. to serve as a sign or symptom of

    "these colder nights mean autumn has truly arrived"

    similar: bespeak, betoken, denote, indicate, point (to), signify, tell (of)
    related: bode, foreshow, foretell, presage

Related Entry: Businesspeople (noun)

Businesspeople is a different word from Business. The synonyms below are for businesspeople, not for business.

  1. as in entrepreneurs, businessmen

    similar: businessmen, businesswomen, enterprisers, entrepreneurs, retailers, sellers, vendors, buyers, marketers, purchasers, dealers, merchandisers, merchants, traders, tradesmen, traffickers, jobbers, middlemen, wholesalers, distributors, providers, provisioners, purveyors, suppliers, authors, begetters, establishers, fathers, founders, founding fathers, generators, inaugurators, initiators, instituters, originators, sires, factories, manufactories, mills, plants, shops, works, workshops, groundbreakers, pioneers, planners, researchers, researchists, agriculturists, agronomists, cultivators, farmers, growers, planters, tillers

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Business

The most common words with a similar meaning to Business:

custom, patronage, company, concern, enterprise, establishment, firm, house, interest, outfit, affair, matter, thing, commerce, marketplace, trade, traffic, capacity, function, job, part, place, position, purpose, role, task, work, area, arena, bailiwick, barony, circle, demesne, department, discipline, domain, element, fief, fiefdom, field

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Business

Words with the opposite meaning of Business:

allegiance, devotion, faithfulness, fealty, fidelity, loyalty, staunchness, steadfastness

Related Words for Business

free trade, affairs, dealings, horse-trading, merchandising, retailing, wholesaling, conglomerate, corporation, multinational, association, cartel, chain, combine, syndicate, trust, agency, dealer, outlet, microenterprise, consideration, issue, problem, crisis, crossroad(s), crunch, emergency, exigency, flash point, head

Near Antonyms of Business

dependability, reliability, trustworthiness, defense, protection, safeguard, shield

Origin & Etymology of Business

Middle English bisynesse, from bisy busy + -nesse -ness

First known use: 14th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Business

Words & Phrases Containing Business

business administration, business card, business class, business cycle, business end, business suit, business-to-business, business as usual, business community

Frequently Asked Questions about Business

What does "Business" mean?

"Business" means a usually commercial or mercantile activity engaged in as a means of livelihood, trade, line. As a noun, it is defined as: a usually commercial or mercantile activity engaged in as a means of livelihood, trade, line. It has 8 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Business"?

Other words for "Business" include custom, patronage, company, concern, enterprise, establishment, firm and house. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Business" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Business"?

There are 198 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Business". Common alternatives include custom, patronage, company, concern, enterprise, establishment, firm, house, interest and outfit.

What is the opposite of "Business"?

Antonyms of "Business" include allegiance, devotion, faithfulness, fealty, fidelity, loyalty, staunchness and steadfastness. Near antonyms include dependability, reliability, trustworthiness and defense.

How do you use "Business" in a sentence?

Examples of "Business" in a sentence: "only places that are equal opportunity employers will get my business"; "most of the local businesses belong to the association"; "we have one piece of business remaining for today's meeting".

Is "Business" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Business" is a noun.

Is "Business" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As an A1-level word, "Business" is typical of Cambridge A1 Movers (Young Learners), TOEIC Listening & Reading 120+.

How do you pronounce "Business"?

"Business" is pronounced /ˈbiz-nəs/ and divided into syllables as busi·ness.