Businesses — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun /ˈbiz-nəs/ (noun) /ˈland-ˈä-fəs-/ (noun) busi·ness

Meaning & Definition of Businesses

Businesses (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
  4. an economic group consisting of large profit-making corporations especially with regard to their influence on social or political policy
  5. a very profitable enterprise
  6. extensive and rapid business
  7. shenanigan
  8. the arts, occupations, and businesses (such as theater, movies, and television) that comprise the entertainment industry
  9. business

Businesses (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a commercial or industrial activity or organization

    "most of the local businesses belong to the association"

    similar: companies, concerns, enterprises, establishments, firms, houses, interests, outfits
    related: conglomerates, corporations, multinationals, associations, cartels, chains, combines, syndicates, trusts, agencies, dealers, outlets, microenterprises

  2. something to be dealt with

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

    similar: affairs, matters, things, balls of wax
    related: considerations, issues, problems, crises, crossroads, crunches, emergencies, exigencies, flash points, heads, junctures, straits, zero hours, concerns, troubles, worries, care, lookouts, responsibilities, deadlocks, halts, impasses, stalemates, standstills, corners, fixes, holes, hot waters, jams, pickles, pinches, predicaments, scrapes, spots

  3. 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: capacities, functions, jobs, parts, places, positions, purposes, roles, tasks, works
    related: affairs, concerns, hands, involvements, participations, niches, offices, posts, situations, callings, occupations, pursuits, vocations, activities, assignments, charges, commissions, duties, employs, missions, responsibilities, services, uses

  4. a region of activity, knowledge, or influence

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

    similar: areas, arenas, bailiwicks, baronies, circles, demesnes, departments, disciplines, domains, elements, fiefdoms, fiefs, fields, firmaments, fronts, games, kingdoms, lines, precincts, provinces, realms, specialties, spheres, terrains, walks
    related: frontiers, studies, subjects, territories, turfs, occupations, professions, pursuits, rackets, vocations, ambits, amplitudes, breadths, compasses, confines, dimensions, extents, kens, reaches, scopes, sweeps, widths, subfields, subspecialties

  5. 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: assignments, briefs, charges, details, jobs, missions, operations, posts
    related: burdens, chores, duties, needs, obligations, offices, requirements, responsibilities, errands, labors, works, commitments, pledges, promises, appointments, commissions, designations, nominations, compulsions, constraints, restraints

  6. 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: backstabbings, betrayals, disloyalties, double crosses, falsities, infidelities, perfidies, sellouts, treacheries, treasons
    related: abandonments, desertions, deceits, deceptions, double-dealings, duplicities, guiles, frauds, talebearings, trickeries
    opposite: allegiances, devotions, fealties, fidelities, loyalties
    near: dependabilities, reliabilities, defenses, protections, safeguards, shields

Related Entry: Business (noun)

Business is a different word from Businesses. The synonyms below are for business, not for businesses.

  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 Businesses. The synonyms below are for monkey business, not for businesses.

  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

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Businesses

The most common words with a similar meaning to Businesses:

companies, concerns, enterprises, establishments, firms, houses, interests, outfits, affairs, matters, things, capacities, functions, jobs, parts, places, positions, purposes, roles, tasks, works, areas, arenas, bailiwicks, baronies, circles, demesnes, departments, disciplines, domains, elements, fiefdoms, fiefs, fields, firmaments, fronts, games, kingdoms, lines, precincts

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Businesses

Words with the opposite meaning of Businesses:

allegiances, devotions, fealties, fidelities, loyalties

Related Words for Businesses

conglomerates, corporations, multinationals, associations, cartels, chains, combines, syndicates, trusts, agencies, dealers, outlets, microenterprises, considerations, issues, problems, crises, crossroads, crunches, emergencies, exigencies, flash points, heads, junctures, straits, zero hours, troubles, worries, care, lookouts

Near Antonyms of Businesses

dependabilities, reliabilities, defenses, protections, safeguards, shields

Origin & Etymology of Businesses

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

First known use: 14th century

Frequently Asked Questions about Businesses

What does "Businesses" mean?

"Businesses" 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 6 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Businesses"?

Other words for "Businesses" include companies, concerns, enterprises, establishments, firms, houses, interests and outfits. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Businesses" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Businesses"?

There are 173 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Businesses". Common alternatives include companies, concerns, enterprises, establishments, firms, houses, interests, outfits, affairs and matters.

What is the opposite of "Businesses"?

Antonyms of "Businesses" include allegiances, devotions, fealties, fidelities and loyalties. Near antonyms include dependabilities, reliabilities, defenses and protections.

How do you use "Businesses" in a sentence?

Examples of "Businesses" in a sentence: "most of the local businesses belong to the association"; "we have one piece of business remaining for today's meeting"; "plants going about the business of photosynthesis provide the Earth with a renewable source of oxygen".

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

"Businesses" is a noun.

How do you pronounce "Businesses"?

"Businesses" is pronounced /ˈbiz-nəs/ as a noun and /ˈland-ˈä-fəs-/ as a noun and divided into syllables as busi·ness.

What is the origin of the word "Businesses"?

"Businesses" comes from Middle English bisynesse, from bisy busy + -nesse -ness. First known use: 14th century.