business
pronunciation
How to pronounce business in British English:
UK [ˈbɪznəs]
How to pronounce business in American English:
US [ˈbɪznəs]
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- Noun:
- a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it
- the activity of providing goods and services involving financial and commercial and industrial aspects
- business concerns collectively
- the volume of business activity
- a rightful concern or responsibility
- the principal activity in your life that you do to earn money
- an immediate objective
- incidental activity performed by an actor for dramatic effect
- customers collectively
Word Origin
- business (n.)
- Old English bisignes (Northumbrian) "care, anxiety, occupation," from bisig "careful, anxious, busy, occupied, diligent" (see busy (adj.)) + -ness. Middle English sense of "state of being much occupied or engaged" (mid-14c.) is obsolete, replaced by busyness. Sense of "a person's work, occupation" is first recorded late 14c. (in late Old English bisig (adj.) appears as a noun with the sense "occupation, state of employment"). Meaning "what one is about at the moment" is from 1590s. Sense of "trade, commercial engagements" is first attested 1727. In 17c. it also could mean "sexual intercourse." Modern two-syllable pronunciation is 17c. Business card first attested 1840; business letter from 1766. Business end "the practical or effective part" (of something) is American English, by 1874. Phrase business as usual attested from 1865. To mean business "be intent on serious action" is from 1856. To mind (one's) own business is from 1620s. Johnson's dictionary also has busiless "At leisure; without business; unemployed."
Synonym
Example
- 1. Alternative medicine is big business .
- 2. These things happen in business .
- 3. Business leaders were duly outraged .
- 4. Business has taken the consequences .
- 5. Why does my business work ?