Adjacent Words

Business definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

BUSINESS, n. biz'ness. [See Busy.] Employment; that which occupies the time, attention and labor of men, for the purpose of profit or improvement--a word of extensive use and indefinite signification. Business is a particular occupation, as agriculture, trade, mechanic art, or profession, and when used of a particular employment, the word admits of the plural number, businesses. Business is also any temporary employment.
1. Affairs; concerns; as, a man leaves his business in an unsettled state.
2. The subject of employment; that which engages the care and attention.
You are so much the business of our souls.
3. Serious engagement; important occupation,in distinction from trivial affairs.
It should be the main business of life to serve God, and obey his commands.
4. Concern; right of action or interposing.
"What business has a man with the disputes of others?"
5. A point; a matter of question; something to be examined or considered.
Fitness to govern is a perplexed business.
6. Something to be done; employment of importance to one's interest, opposed to amusement; as, we have no business in town.
They were far from the Zidonians and had no business with any one.
7. Duty, or employment that duty enjoins. A lawyer's business is to do justice to his clients.
To do the business for a man, is to kill, destroy or ruin him.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it; "he bought his brother's business"; "a small mom-and-pop business"; "a racially integrated business concern" [syn: business, concern, business concern, business organization, business organisation]
2: the activity of providing goods and services involving financial and commercial and industrial aspects; "computers are now widely used in business" [syn: commercial enterprise, business enterprise, business]
3: the principal activity in your life that you do to earn money; "he's not in my line of business" [syn: occupation, business, job, line of work, line]
4: a rightful concern or responsibility; "it's none of your business"; "mind your own business"
5: an immediate objective; "gossip was the main business of the evening"
6: the volume of commercial activity; "business is good today"; "show me where the business was today"
7: business concerns collectively; "Government and business could not agree" [syn: business, business sector]
8: customers collectively; "they have an upper class clientele" [syn: clientele, patronage, business]
9: incidental activity performed by an actor for dramatic effect; "his business with the cane was hilarious" [syn: business, stage business, byplay]

Merriam Webster's

noun Usage: often attributive Etymology: Middle English bisynesse, from bisy busy + -nesse -ness Date: 14th century 1. archaic purposeful activity ; busyness 2. a. role, function <how the human mind went about its business of learning — H. A. Overstreet> b. an immediate task or objective ; mission <what is your business here> c. a particular field of endeavor <the best in the business> 3. a. a usually commercial or mercantile activity engaged in as a means of livelihood ; trade, line <in the restaurant business> b. a commercial or sometimes an industrial enterprise; also such enterprises <the business district> c. dealings or transactions especially of an economic nature ; patronage <took their business elsewhere> 4. affair, matter <the whole business got out of hand> <business as usual> 5. creation, concoction 6. movement or action (as lighting a cigarette) by an actor intended especially to establish atmosphere, reveal character, or explain a situation — called also stage business 7. a. personal concern <none of your business> b. right <you have no business speaking to me that way> 8. a. serious activity requiring time and effort and usually the avoidance of distractions <got down to business> b. maximum effort 9. a. a damaging assault b. rebuke, tongue-lashing c. double cross 10. a bowel movement — used especially of pets Synonyms: business, commerce, trade, industry, traffic mean activity concerned with the supplying and distribution of commodities. business may be an inclusive term but specifically designates the activities of those engaged in the purchase or sale of commodities or in related financial transactions. commerce and trade imply the exchange and transportation of commodities. industry applies to the producing of commodities, especially by manufacturing or processing, usually on a large scale. traffic applies to the operation and functioning of public carriers of goods and persons. Synonym: see in addition work.

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. 1 one's regular occupation, profession, or trade. 2 a thing that is one's concern. 3 a a task or duty. b a reason for coming (what is your business?). 4 serious work or activity (get down to business). 5 derog. a an affair, a matter (sick of the whole business). b a structure (a lath-and-plaster business). 6 a thing or series of things needing to be dealt with (the business of the day). 7 buying and selling; trade (good stroke of business). 8 a commercial house or firm. 9 Theatr. action on stage. 10 a difficult matter (what a business it is!; made a great business of it). Phrases and idioms: business card a card printed with one's name and professional details. the business end colloq. the functional part of a tool or device. business park an area designed to accommodate businesses and light industry. business person a businessman or businesswoman. business studies training in economics, management, etc. has no business to has no right to. in business 1 trading or dealing. 2 able to begin operations. in the business of 1 engaged in. 2 intending to (we are not in the business of surrendering). like nobody's business colloq. extraordinarily. make it one's business to undertake to. mind one's own business not meddle. on business with a definite purpose, esp. one relating to one's regular occupation. send a person about his or her business dismiss a person; send a person away. Etymology: OE bisignis (as BUSY, -NESS)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Business Busi"ness, n.; pl. Businesses. [From Busy.] 1. That which busies one, or that which engages the time, attention, or labor of any one, as his principal concern or interest, whether for a longer or shorter time; constant employment; regular occupation; as, the business of life; business before pleasure. Wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business? --Luke ii. 49. 2. Any particular occupation or employment engaged in for livelihood or gain, as agriculture, trade, art, or a profession. ``The business of instruction.'' --Prescott. 3. Financial dealings; buying and selling; traffic in general; mercantile transactions. It seldom happens that men of a studious turn acquire any degree of reputation for their knowledge of business. --Bp. Popteus. 4. That which one has to do or should do; special service, duty, or mission. The daughter of the King of France, On serious business, craving quick despatch, Importunes personal conference. --Shak. What business has the tortoise among the clouds? --L'Estrange. 5. Affair; concern; matter; -- used in an indefinite sense, and modified by the connected words. It was a gentle business, and becoming The action of good women. --Shak. Bestow Your needful counsel to our business. --Shak. 6. (Drama) The position, distribution, and order of persons and properties on the stage of a theater, as determined by the stage manager in rehearsal. 7. Care; anxiety; diligence. [Obs.] --Chaucer. To do one's business, to ruin one. [Colloq.] --Wycherley. To make (a thing) one's business, to occupy one's self with a thing as a special charge or duty. [Colloq.] To mean business, to be earnest. [Colloq.] Syn: Affairs; concern; transaction; matter; engagement; employment; calling; occupation; trade; profession; vocation; office; duty.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(businesses) Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English. 1. Business is work relating to the production, buying, and selling of goods or services. ...young people seeking a career in business... Jennifer has an impressive academic and business background. ...Harvard Business School. N-UNCOUNT 2. Business is used when talking about how many products or services a company is able to sell. If business is good, a lot of products or services are being sold and if business is bad, few of them are being sold. They worried that German companies would lose business... Business is booming. N-UNCOUNT 3. A business is an organization which produces and sells goods or which provides a service. The company was a family business... The majority of small businesses go broke within the first twenty-four months... He was short of cash after the collapse of his business. = company, firm N-COUNT 4. Business is work or some other activity that you do as part of your job and not for pleasure. I'm here on business... You can't mix business with pleasure. ...business trips. N-UNCOUNT: oft on N 5. You can use business to refer to a particular area of work or activity in which the aim is to make a profit. May I ask you what business you're in? ...the music business. N-SING: oft supp N 6. You can use business to refer to something that you are doing or concerning yourself with. ...recording Ben as he goes about his business... There was nothing left for the teams to do but get on with the business of racing. N-SING: with supp 7. You can use business to refer to important matters that you have to deal with. The most important business was left to the last... I've got some unfinished business to attend to. 8. If you say that something is your business, you mean that it concerns you personally and that other people have no right to ask questions about it or disagree with it. My sex life is my business... If she doesn't want the police involved, that's her business... It's not our business. = affair, concern N-UNCOUNT: with poss 9. You can use business to refer in a general way to an event, situation, or activity. For example, you can say something is 'a wretched business' or you can refer to 'this assassination business'. We have sorted out this wretched business at last... This whole business is very puzzling. = affair N-SING: supp N 10. You can use business when describing a task that is unpleasant in some way. For example, if you say that doing something is a costly business, you mean that it costs a lot. (INFORMAL) Coastal defence is a costly business... Parenting can be a stressful business. = affair N-SING: supp N 11. see also big business, show business 12. If two people or companies do business with each other, one sells goods or services to the other. I was fascinated by the different people who did business with me. PHRASE: V inflects, PHR with n, pl-n PHR 13. If you say that someone has no business to be in a place or to do something, you mean that they have no right to be there or to do it. Really I had no business to be there at all. PHRASE: V inflects, PHR to-inf, PHR -ing 14. A company that is in business is operating and trading. You can't stay in business without cash. PHRASE: v-link PHR 15. If you say you are in business, you mean you have everything you need to start something immediately. (INFORMAL, SPOKEN) All you need is a microphone, and you're in business. PHRASE: V inflects, v-link PHR 16. If you say that someone means business, you mean they are serious and determined about what they are doing. (INFORMAL) Now people are starting to realise that he means business. PHRASE: V inflects 17. If you say to someone 'mind your own business' or 'it's none of your business', you are rudely telling them not to ask about something that does not concern them. (INFORMAL) I asked Laura what was wrong and she told me to mind my own business. PHRASE 18. If a shop or company goes out of business or is put out of business, it has to stop trading because it is not making enough money. Thousands of firms could go out of business. PHRASE: PHR after v 19. In a difficult situation, if you say it is business as usual, you mean that people will continue doing what they normally do. The Queen was determined to show it was business as usual. PHRASE: usu v-link PHR

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

biz'-nes: Is the rendering of four Hebrew words:

(1) mela'khah, in Ge 39:11 (the American Standard Revised Version "work"); 1Ch 26:29,30; 2Ch 13:10 (the American Standard Revised Version "in their work"); 17:13 (the American Standard Revised Version "many works"); Ne 11:16,22; 13:30 (the American Standard Revised Version "in his work"); Es 3:9; Ps 107:23; Pr 22:29; Da 8:27.

(2) dabhar, literally "a word," is so translated in De 24:5; Jos 2:14,20; Jud 18:7 (the American Standard Revised Version "dealings"); Jud 18:28 (the American Standard Revised Version "dealings"); 1Sa 21:2,8.

(3) ma`aseh, "an action" (1Sa 20:19).

(4) `inyan, "employment" (Ec 5:3; 8:16).

In the New Testament "business" in Lu 2:49 is the rendering of the phrase en, tois, tou patros mou, literally "in the things of my Father," which the American Standard Revised Version renders "in my Father's house," with "about my Father's business" as the marginal reading. "Business" is also used in the translation of chreia, literally "need," of Ac 6:3; as the translation of spoude, literally "haste" of Ro 12:11 (the American Standard Revised Version "diligence"); of pragma, literally "thing done," of Ro 16:2 (the American Standard Revised Version "matter"); of prassein ta idia, literally "tend to one's own business," of 1Th 4:11. In Ac 19:24,25 in Paul's account of the riot in Ephesus, ergasia, literally "working," "performing," is translated "little business" in Ac 19:24 (the King James Version "small gain"), and "by this business" in Ac 19:25 (the King James Version "by this craft").

Arthur J. Kinsella

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. 1. Calling, employment, occupation, pursuit, vocation, profession, craft, avocation, walk of life. 2. Trade, commerce, traffic, dealing. 3. Concern, matter, affair, transaction. 4. Office, duty, function.

Moby Thesaurus

Aktiengesellschaft, acting, action, activeness, activism, activity, affair, aktiebolag, allegiance, area, art, assigned task, attempt, balance of trade, big business, body corporate, bounden duty, buffoonery, burden, business dealings, business establishment, call of duty, calling, career, career building, careerism, cartel, chamber of commerce, characterization, charge, combine, commerce, commercial, commercial affairs, commercial enterprise, commercial relations, commitment, compagnie, company, concern, concernment, conglomerate, conglomerate corporation, consolidating company, consortium, contract, copartnership, corporate body, corporation, craft, custom, deal, dealing, dealings, dedication, deference, devoir, devotion, dingus, diversified corporation, dofunny, doing, doings, duties and responsibilities, duty, effort, employment, engagement, enterprise, establishment, ethics, fair trade, fealty, firm, free trade, function, gadget, gag, game, gizmo, goings-on, ham, hammy acting, handicraft, hoke, hokum, holding company, homage, hootenanny, house, imperative, impersonation, industrial, industry, intercourse, interest, issue, jigger, job, joint-stock association, joint-stock company, lifework, line, line of business, line of duty, line of work, lookout, loyalty, market, marketing, matter, mercantile, mercantile business, merchant, merchantry, metier, militancy, mimesis, mimicking, mimicry, miming, mission, motion, movement, multilateral trade, mummery, must, mystery, number, obligation, occasions, occupation, office, onus, operating company, operation, organization, ought, outfit, overacting, palaver, pantomiming, partnership, patter, performance, performing, personation, place, plan, playacting, playing, plunderbund, point, political activism, pool, portrayal, practice, problem, proceeding, proceedings, profession, program, project, projection, proposition, proprietorship, province, public utility, pursuit, question, racket, reciprocal trade, representation, respect, responsibility, restraint of trade, retail, role, self-imposed duty, slapstick, small business, specialization, specialty, stage business, stage directions, stage presence, stir, stock company, stunt, subject, syndicate, taking a role, task, the business world, the marketplace, thing, thingumajig, topic, trade, trade association, trading, traffic, transaction, truck, trust, undertaking, unilateral trade, utility, venture, vocation, walk, walk of life, wholesale, work