noun2. an industrial, commercial, or professional operation; purchase and sale of goods and services
the tailoring business
3. a commercial or industrial establishment, such as a firm or factory
4. commercial activity; dealings (esp in the phrase do business)
5. volume or quantity of commercial activity
business is poor today
6. commercial policy or procedure
overcharging is bad business
7. proper or rightful concern or responsibility (often in the phrase mind one's own business)
8. a special task; assignment
9. a matter or matters to be attended to
the business of the meeting
10. an affair; matter
a strange business
I'm tired of the whole business
11. serious work or activity
get down to business
12. a complicated affair; rigmarole
13. informal a vaguely defined collection or area
jets, fast cars, and all that business
14. Also called: stage business theatre an incidental action, such as lighting a pipe, performed by an actor for dramatic effect
16. euphemistic defecation (esp in the phrase do one's business)
18. like nobody's business
19. mean business
20. do the business
Word origin
Old English
bisignis solicitude, attentiveness, from
bisig busy +
-nis -ness