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BRITISH

IDIOMS AND PHRASES

business[ biz-nis ]SHOW IPA

SEE SYNONYMS FOR business ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

an occupation, profession, or trade:

His business is poultry farming.

the purchase and sale of goods in an attempt to make a profit.

a person, partnership, or corporation engaged in commerce, manufacturing, or a service; profit-seeking

enterprise or concern.

volume of trade; patronage:

Most of the store's business comes from local families.

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adjective

of, noting, or pertaining to business, its organization, or its procedures.

containing, suitable for, or welcoming business or commerce:

New York is a good business town.

QUIZZES

THIS WORD OF THE DAY QUIZ IS FAR FROM SHAMBOLIC

Are you richer than Croesus when it comes to knowledge about the Words of the Day? Take this quiz on
the words from June 1 to June 7 to find out!

QUESTION 1 OF 7

spirituel

given to meddling; interfering; intrusive.

showing or having a refined and graceful mind or wit.

phantasmal; spectral.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

IDIOMS FOR BUSINESS

business is business, profit has precedence over personal considerations:

He is reluctant to fire his friend, but business is business.

do one's business, (usually of an animal or child) to defecate or urinate:

housebreaking a puppy to do his business outdoors.

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ORIGIN OF BUSINESS

before 950; Middle English; Old English bisignes. See busy, -ness

SYNONYMS FOR BUSINESS

1calling, vocation, employment.

2commerce, trade, traffic.

3company, firm.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR business ON THESAURUS.COM

SYNONYM STUDY FOR BUSINESS

1. See occupation.

PRONUNCIATION NOTE FOR BUSINESS

See isn't.

OTHER WORDS FROM BUSINESS

an·ti·busi·ness, adjective

in·ter·busi·ness, adjective

mul·ti·busi·ness, adjective

non·busi·ness, adjective

SEE MORE RELATED FORMS

WORDS NEARBY BUSINESS

bushwhack, bushwhacker, bushy, bushy-tailed, busily, business, business administration, business agent,
business angel, business as usual, business before pleasure

DICTIONARY.COM UNABRIDGED

BASED ON THE RANDOM HOUSE UNABRIDGED DICTIONARY, © RANDOM HOUSE, INC. 2020

WORDS RELATED TO BUSINESS

field, work, employment, trade, firm, shop, corporation, partnership, factory, store, venture, house,
organization, institution, market, transaction, deal, industry, trading, manufacturing

EXAMPLE SENTENCES FROM THE WEB FOR BUSINESS

I was a little mystified at how benignly he responded to my questions about his business activities.

I TRIED TO WARN YOU ABOUT SLEAZY BILLIONAIRE JEFFREY EPSTEIN IN 2003|VICKY WARD|JANUARY 7,
2015|DAILY BEAST
This reporter knocked at the Wilkins home on Tuesday morning but received neither an answer nor the
business end of a shotgun.

THE 7-YEAR-OLD PLANE CRASH SURVIVOR’S BRUTAL JOURNEY THROUGH THE WOODS|JAMES HIGDON|
JANUARY 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST

Together, they crossed over the International Bridges on foot into Juarez to conduct some business.

AN INFORMANT, A MISSING AMERICAN, AND JUAREZ’S HOUSE OF DEATH: INSIDE THE 12-YEAR COLD
CASE OF DAVID CASTRO|BILL CONROY|JANUARY 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST

You see, there is another Mexico, one that is not so appealing to business but well known to law
enforcement.

WHY MEXICANS ARE ENRAGED BY OBAMA’S BIG TUESDAY MEETING|RUBEN NAVARRETTE JR.|JANUARY
6, 2015|DAILY BEAST

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EXPLORE DICTIONARY.COM

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Why Was Z Removed From The Alphabet (And Then Put Back)?

What Is The Difference Between “It’s” And “Its”?

What Is The Difference Between “It’s” And “Its”?

Do You Know These Popular Reading Slang Terms?

Do You Know These Popular Reading Slang Terms?

BRITISH DICTIONARY DEFINITIONS FOR BUSINESS

business/ (ˈbɪznɪs) /

noun

a trade or profession

an industrial, commercial, or professional operation; purchase and sale of goods and servicesthe
tailoring business

a commercial or industrial establishment, such as a firm or factory

commercial activity; dealings (esp in the phrase do business)

volume or quantity of commercial activitybusiness is poor today

commercial policy or procedureovercharging is bad business

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WORD ORIGIN FOR BUSINESS

Old English bisignis solicitude, attentiveness, from bisig busy + -nis -ness

COLLINS ENGLISH DICTIONARY - COMPLETE & UNABRIDGED 2012 DIGITAL EDITION

© WILLIAM COLLINS SONS & CO. LTD. 1979, 1986 © HARPERCOLLINS

PUBLISHERS 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

IDIOMS AND PHRASES WITH BUSINESS

business
In addition to the idiom beginning with business

business as usual

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THE AMERICAN HERITAGE® IDIOMS DICTIONARY

COPYRIGHT © 2002, 2001, 1995 BY HOUGHTON MIFFLIN HARCOURT PUBLISHING COMPANY.

PUBLISHED BY HOUGHTON MIFFLIN HARCOURT PUBLISHING COMPANY.

WORD OF THE DAY

skulduggery

noun | [skuhl-duhg-uh-ree]

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