business
[noun]
Synonyms:
- trade, bargaining, commerce, dealings, industry, manufacturing, selling, transaction
- establishment, company, concern, corporation, enterprise, firm, organization, venture
- profession, career, employment, function, job, line, occupation, trade, vocation, work
- concern, affair, assignment, duty, pigeon (informal), problem, responsibility, task

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English Thesaurus: business, trade, commerce, e-commerce, company, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

busi‧ness S1 W1 /ˈbɪznəs, ˈbɪznɪs/ noun
[Date: 1300-1400; Origin: busy]

1. BUYING OR SELLING GOODS OR SERVICES [uncountable] the activity of making money by producing or buying and selling goods, or providing services:
Students on the course learn about all aspects of business.
Carl began in the music business by running a recording studio.
We do business with a number of Italian companies.
He has a wide range of business interests.

2. COMPANY [countable] an organization such as a company, shop, or factory that produces or sells goods or provides a service:
She now has her own $25 million home-shopping business.
They don’t know how to run a business.
The company began as a small family business.

3. HOW MUCH WORK A COMPANY HAS [uncountable] the amount of work a company does or the amount of money it makes:
We’re now doing twice as much business as we did last year.
Exports account for 72% of overall business.
business is good/bad/slow etc
Business is slow during the summer.
drum up business (=try to get more work for you or your company)
Perot was in Europe, drumming up business for his new investment company.

4. FOR YOUR JOB [uncountable] work that you do as part of your job:
She’s in New York this week on business (=for her work).
Hi Maggie! Is this phone call business or pleasure?
business trip/meeting etc
We discussed the idea over a business lunch.
useful business contacts

5. WHAT SOMEONE SHOULD BE INVOLVED IN [uncountable]
a) if something is not your business or none of your business, you should not be involved in it or ask about it:
It was not her business, she decided, to ask where the money came from.
It’s none of your business how much I weigh.
‘Who’s that girl you were with?’ ‘Mind your own business (=Don’t ask questions about something that does not concern you)!’
‘Are you going out with Kate tonight?’ ‘That’s my business’ (=it doesn’t concern you, so don’t ask me questions about it).
b) if it is someone’s business to do something, it is their duty or responsibility to do it
it is the business of somebody to do something
It is the business of government to listen to the various groups within society.

6. THINGS TO BE DEALT WITH [uncountable] things that need to be done or discussed:
Okay, let’s get down to business (=start doing or discussing something).
‘Is there any other business?’ the chairman asked.

7. MATTER [singular] a situation or activity, especially one that you have a particular opinion about or attitude towards
a serious/strange/funny etc business
Leon regards keeping fit as a serious business.
Tanya found the whole business ridiculous.

8. be in business
a) to be involved in business activities:
The company has been in business for over 30 years.
b) spoken to have all that you need to start doing something:
I’ve just got to buy the paint and then we’re in business.

9. (go) out of business if a company goes out of business, or something puts it out of business, it stops operating, especially because of financial problems:
Higher interest rates will drive small firms out of business.

10. be back in business to be working or operating in a normal way again:
The band are back in business after a long break.

11. somebody was (just) minding their own business spoken used to say that someone was not doing anything unusual or wrong at the time when something unfair or bad happened to them:
I was driving along, minding my own business, when the police stopped my car.

12. go about your business to do the things that you normally do:
The street was full of ordinary people going about their business.

13. make it your business to do something to make a special effort to do something:
Ruth made it her business to get to know the customers.

14. mean business informal to be serious about doing something even if it involves harming someone:
The border is guarded by troops who mean business.

15. unfinished business something you need to discuss further with someone or a situation that has not yet reached a satisfactory solution:
The sudden death of a loved one can often leave the bereaved with an agonising sense of unfinished business.

16. business is business spoken used to say that profit is the most important thing to consider:
We can’t afford to employ someone who isn’t good at the job – business is business.

17. business as usual when someone or something is still working or operating normally when you think they might not be:
Despite last night’s scare, it was business as usual in the White House today.

18. have no business doing something/have no business to do something to do something you should not be doing:
He was drunk and had no business driving.

19. not be in the business of doing something to not be intending to do something because you think it is a bad idea:
I’m not in the business of selling my best players.

20. and all that business spoken informal and other things of the same general kind:
She handles the publicity and all that business.

21. (it’s) the business British English informal used to say that something is very good or works well:
Have you seen David’s new car? It’s the business!

22. do the business British English informal
a) to do what you are expected to do or what people want you to do:
Come on, then, and do the business.
b) to have sex
⇒ big business, ⇒ funny business at funny(3), ⇒ like nobody’s business at nobody¹(2), ⇒ monkey business at monkey¹(3), ⇒ show business

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

business
noun
I. buying and selling of goods
ADJ. big | profitable | private | core It's time to focus on the company's core business.
retail, wholesale | catering, computer, investment, etc.
VERB + BUSINESS carry on (often law), conduct, do, transact a company that has ceased to carry on business He's someone I can do business with (= that I find it easy/pleasant to do business with).
work in She works in the computer business.
go into, set up in | go out of The firm went out of business during the recession.
put sb/sth out of The new regulations will put many small firms out of business.
BUSINESS + NOUN deal, transaction | meeting | lunch | trip | community | executive, manager, partner | contact | affairs, interests, matters | investment | secret protecting business secrets
plan | acumen | card | hours You can call the helpline during normal business hours.
school | studies | park The company's offices are located in the new business park out of town.
PREP. in ~ He's in business. What business are you in? (figurative) All we need is a car and we'll be in business (= we'll have everything we need to start what we want to do).
on ~ going to Paris on business
PHRASES business as usual (= things will continue as normal in spite of a difficult situation) It's business as usual at the factory, even while investigators sift through the bomb wreckage.
business or pleasure Is the trip to Rome business or pleasure?
mix business with pleasure When I travel abroad I like to mix business with pleasure.
a place of business

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

business
II. amount of trade done
ADJ. brisk, good Business was brisk and they had sold out by midday.
bad, slack, slow
VERB + BUSINESS drum up, generate She's in Europe drumming up business for her new company.
tout for insurance salesmen touting for business
lose We're losing business to our main rivals.
BUSINESS + VERB boom Business is booming for estate agents in the south as the property market hots up.
pick up After a slack period business is now picking up.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

business
III. firm/shop
ADJ. large, medium-sized, small | family | international, local | private | state-owned | profitable, successful | mail order, retail, wholesale
VERB + BUSINESS have, own | manage, run It was always my dream to run my own business.
set up, start They decided to start their own business.
build up We built up the business from nothing.
work in He works in the family business.
take over | expand, grow We are looking to grow the business over the next couple of years.
join, leave
BUSINESS + VERB do/go well, take off After six months the business really took off.
expand, grow The business is expanding fast.
collapse, fail
BUSINESS + NOUN assets, premises | failure
 ⇒ Note at ORGANIZATION

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

business
IV. work/responsibility
ADJ. daily
VERB + BUSINESS go about market traders going about their daily business
make sth I shall make it my business to find out who is responsible.
PHRASES have no business doing sth/to do sth You have no business (= no right) being here.
mind your own business (= think about your own affairs and not try to get involved in other people's) ‘What are you reading?’ ‘Mind your own business!’ I was just sitting there, minding my own business, when a man started shouting at me.
none of your business/no business of yours My private life is none of your business (= does not concern you).

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

business
V. important matters
ADJ. private | important, pressing, urgent | unfinished We've got some unfinished business to discuss.
VERB + BUSINESS get down to OK, let's get down to business.
deal with, discuss, talk I'm not going to talk business tonight.
PHRASES any other business (= items discussed at the end of a meeting) I think we've finished item four. Now, is there any other business?

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

business
VI. situation/event
ADJ. whole I'll be glad when the whole business is over and done with.
awful, bad, dreadful, terrible It was an awful business?he couldn't work for months.
funny, strange

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

business

do business
A lot of firms are keen to do business in Japan.
conduct business formal (=do business)
It is not a sensible way to conduct business.
go into business (=start working in business)
A lot of university graduates want to go into business.
set up/start up in business
The bank gave me a loan to help me set up in business.
stay in business (=continue operating and not become bankrupt)
Some stores are finding it hard to stay in business.
go out of business (=stop doing business because of financial problems)
In a recession smaller firms often go out of business.
the music/entertainment/computer etc business
He started out working in the computer business.
a business deal (=an occasion when you buy or sell something)
Negotiation is the most important part of a business deal.
business activities
His wife refused to get involved in his business activities.
business interests (=business activities, or shares in companies)
Both companies have substantial business interests in Indonesia.
the business community (=people who work in business)
There was pressure on the government from the business community.
the business world
You need to be flexible in today’s highly competitive business world.
business studies (=a course of study about business)
She did business studies at college.
have/own a business
Nick owned a software business in Boston.
run a business (=manage it)
There’s plenty of advice available on how to run your own business.
start/set up a business
When you’re starting a business, you have to work longer hours.
take over a business (=buy it or start running it)
When my father retired, I took over the business.
build (up)/develop a business
He spent years trying to build a business in Antigua.
establish a business
She overcame many financial difficulties to establish her business.
a business succeeds
Making a business succeed is not simple.
a business collapses/fails (=stops operating)
35% of small businesses fail in the first year of operation.
a small business (=that employs only a few people)
Many small businesses have been badly hit by the recession.
a medium-sized business
They offer services to small and medium-sized businesses.
a software/catering/construction etc business
His girlfriend runs a catering business.
a family business (=owned and controlled by one family)
For many years the hotel was a family business.
an import/export business
Kingwell had an export business in New Zealand.
a successful/profitable/thriving business
Within a few years she had established a thriving business in London.
a viable business (=one that is likely to be successful)
It soon became clear that the restaurant was not a viable business.
a business partner (=someone who shares a business with you)
Margie was his wife and also his business partner.
a business manager
We need to take on a business manager to deal with some of the admin.
a business customer/client
We’re providing our business customers with reliable, proven Internet technology.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

business
noun
BAD: I often have to go abroad for business.
GOOD: I often have to go abroad on business.
BAD: My father is now in Paris on his business.
GOOD: My father is now in Paris on business.

Usage Note:
(be/go somewhere) on business : 'I'm off to Amsterdam tomorrow, on business as usual.'

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Common Errors ▲

business the activity of making money by producing, buying, or selling goods, or providing services:
Business in Europe has been badly affected by economic conditions in the US.
He works in the advertising business.
trade the buying and selling of goods and services, especially between countries:
Trade between European countries became easier after the introduction of the Euro.
a trade agreement
commerce the buying and selling of goods and services. Commerce is more formal than business, and is used when talking about business activities in general:
One of the roles of the federal government is to regulate commerce.
London became a great centre of commerce.
the local chamber of commerce (=an organization which the companies and shops in an area belong to)
e-commerce the buying and selling of goods and services on the Internet:
E-commerce is a fast-growing part of the US economy.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

company an organization that makes or sells something, or provides a service:
big oil companies
telephone companies
He runs a software company.
firm a company, especially one that provides a service rather than producing goods:
a law firm
a firm of accountants
a security firm
business a company – often used when talking about a company that employs only a small number of people:
She set up her own catering business.
small businesses
a family business
corporation a large company that often includes several smaller companies:
IBM is one of the biggest corporations in the world.
multinational a very large company with offices in many different countries:
American multinationals are establishing research and development facilities across the developing world.
conglomerate /kənˈɡlɒmərət, kənˈɡlɒmərɪt $ -ˈɡlɑː-/ a very large company that consists of several different companies which have joined together:
The company was taken over by a German media conglomerate.
giant a word used mainly by newspapers for a very large company:
Their clients include the retail giant, Wal-Mart.
subsidiary a company that is owned by a larger company:
The company runs its New York operations through a US subsidiary.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

business
̈ɪˈbɪznɪs
See: do the business , have no business , land-office business , mean business , monkey business , the business

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲