| 释义 |
Definition of business in English: businessnoun ˈbɪznəsˈbɪznəs mass noun1A person's regular occupation, profession, or trade. experts who typically conduct their business over the Internet Example sentencesExamples - When travelling away on business, always remember to pack a shaver.
- When I first flew to Manhattan on business I stayed in the New Yorker Hotel.
- Stewart never voted for devolution - he was in Dubai on business at the time of the 1997 referendum.
- McClung, who travels extensively on business, is eligible for major bonus points.
- I was seven years old, and my father had been away on business for a month.
- Zurich surveyed firms to see if they carry out risk assessments of employees before letting them drive on business.
- Electors can appoint a proxy if they are unable to vote themselves, if they are out of the country on holiday or on business or in the armed forces.
- He was in Japan, a guest of the Japanese consulate on business in his other profession as writer and journalist.
- As for me, I'm probably going to have visit Kiev on business some time this year.
- He was in Europe on business and, having read about the Silver Arrow on its website, was determined to compete.
- For years, her mother travelled to London on business yet they rarely met up.
- We live in better houses, we enjoy better holiday accommodation and when we go away on business we get a better deal.
- He told the jury that he had expected to travel north with his dad on business on that particular day in April last year.
- Darlington's owner George Reynolds was unable to be contacted today as he was in Norway on business for the next few days.
- It claimed to offer free parking and transport to Manchester Airport for customers flying out on business or holidays.
- The Prospective Group carried on business in promotion and market consultancy.
- All three learned well and were good to their mother when their father was away on business, which he often was.
- When travelling on business, always pack an extra change of clothes.
- Ashraf regularly flew to Pakistan from Glasgow airport on business.
- When you stay in a hotel room on business and not on vacation, it's still a sort of like a vacation.
Synonyms work, line of work, line, occupation, profession, career, employment, job, day job, position, pursuit, vocation, calling, field, sphere, walk of life, trade, craft Scottish way French métier informal racket, game Australian informal grip archaic employ - 1.1 An activity that someone is engaged in.
what is your business here? Example sentencesExamples - It just seems to fly in the face of the way we do business as law enforcement officers.
- Her fortnight in the city passed quickly, a whirl of business and unavoidable social engagements.
- All of an auctioneer's business requires the trust and goodwill of the public.
- The liberal view was that religion was a private matter; it was not the business of the state to enforce a particular creed.
- Agencies of the state, in the course of their business, are required to keep a running record of their areas of activity.
- The real answer is for the Government to protect the post offices' core business.
- It will be up to him to engage in the smoke-and-mirror business of political negotiation at a European level in the next week.
- Investment trusts are companies whose business it is to make money from investments.
- This should help to filter the heavy volumes when schools resume business in September.
- In my business the less you worry about making money the more likely you are to make it.
- Nor was this the only business in which Bevan engaged in the course of that year.
- What the Business Committee does is its business, but it is a relatively informal arrangement.
- I really do not think it is the business of retailers to have control over editorial content of magazines.
- Brousse gave the impression of being a man in charge of his business.
- 1.2 A person's concern.
it's not my business to interfere the neighbours make it their business to know all about you Example sentencesExamples - Yes, but there is a whole bunch of people sitting at home saying it's none of my business.
- The location is a farm in deepest Pennsylvania, the season is summer and the year is none of your business.
- He was about to tell him off, to tell him that what went on between him and Xavier was none of his business.
- One of he things we forget is that what people think of us is none of our business.
- It's none of our business to control what the NCC thinks or says about politics.
- I'm not an American and I'm not a Republican so in a way it is none of my business.
- To be told as you have been that it's none of your business is ridiculous.
- One of the ballet mothers has her nose in everyone's business no matter how personal it is.
- It's none of your business what goes on in the bedrooms of consenting adults.
- I know that his personal well-being is none of my business, but somehow it's hard not to worry about Harry.
- It's none of my business and if you ask me, stuff like that is meant to be secret.
- I did some other things that were on the list but those are none of your business.
- One of its aims is to help staff appreciate when problems they notice are private and none of their business or ours.
- My colleagues laugh at you, and people walk past as if you're none of their business.
- Internal church or other religious affairs are simply no business whatsoever of any government.
- We, as a society, cannot afford to turn our heads and claim it is none of our business.
- The police may be there to uphold the law, but our personal beliefs are none of their business.
- They all started to scold me for something which was totally none of their business.
- Whatever was going to happen after they did their job was none of their business.
- If he does not manage to get his work done by a certain time, it is his own incompetence and none of my business.
Synonyms concern, affair, responsibility, province, preserve, duty, function, task, assignment, obligation, problem, worry, lookout informal funeral, headache, bailiwick British informal pigeon, baby - 1.3 Work that has to be done or matters that have to be attended to.
let's get down to business Example sentencesExamples - This year however she returned to school late due to business she had to attend back home.
- Balloonist Rick Walczak plans to attend to some unfinished business in the next few weeks.
- She wrote a quick note saying she was sorry and that she had some business to attend to.
- If you have no serious business to attend to the next day, i strongly advise you give this stuff a try.
- The participants in the competition went about their business quite as a matter of fact.
- Reluctantly, they did, leaving me to attend to some unfinished business.
- After giving up that business they attended a number of courses lasting from one to three days.
- Oh, may the workday pass quickly as there is serious business to attend to this evening.
- It is also about the Post Office seeking to generate new business for itself.
- Nor was it a case of being called away to attend to urgent state business in Brussels.
- We simply have more important business to attend to right now than nursing an old grudge.
- Be that as it may, one can't help but wonder why Montserrat does not attend to its own business.
- Father had a little bit of business to attend to so I spent two nights at the inn.
- On Monday he took his son to his first day at school, and so yesterday was delayed in an office elsewhere by leftover business.
- Calcavecchia has had unfinished business to attend to in the transatlantic challenge for some time.
- See, Graham is attending to some unfinished business, and helping some friends out at the same time.
- We were then told we could use the post office for routine business.
- This means I have to go out tomorrow to attend to my business, whether I like it or not.
- For six months, he attended to farm business, only playing rugby for Scotland.
- Mr Crausby blamed changes to the benefits payment system for the decline of day-to-day post office business.
2Commercial activity. firms who want to do business with Japan as modifier the business community Example sentencesExamples - Promising to give prizes or bonuses on business trading without permit is subject to a penalty of up to one year.
- He believed it would have an adverse affect on business and trade in the community.
- As a market trader I understand business and running the town would require a sense of business.
- Warlords enjoy a situation of anarchy in which they can threaten the local population and engage in illegal business.
- The Minister for Sport appears to be driven by business rather than sporting concerns.
- It would appear that new legislation regarding the payment of accounts has had no real effect on business.
- We need to remove some of that regulation which is impacting on business.
- The Government wants to enhance the capability of polytechs to engage with business and industry.
- He cannot recall if the Trust was ever engaged in any business or ever lent money.
- Business representatives heard that demands on business have never been higher.
- Then there's Lord Haskin's task force, attempting to reduce the burden of regulation on business.
- I am going to be away just for one day and it would have been nice to add on some social activity with the business.
- Narang's experience in managing business came in handy for his new assignment.
- He believed it would have adverse effect on business and trade in the community.
- Over half the stock required repairs and business would be effected for weeks, Mr Nicholls said.
- He did not engage in any business activities outside of his employment duties with the defendant.
- But such extra burdens hardly help business, which now needs to lobby for joined-up tax reform.
- So then what of the world of business, trade, professions, academia and research?
- He cites the response of business to environmental concerns over the past decade.
- But he is not impressed by the track record of the Scottish parliament on business.
Synonyms trade, trading, commerce, buying and selling, dealing, traffic, trafficking, marketing, merchandising, bargaining dealings, transactions, negotiations, proceedings - 2.1 Trade considered in terms of its volume or profitability.
the banks are continuing to lose business Example sentencesExamples - What is particularly striking is the bounce in expectations concerning future business.
- The company hopes the deal will lead to new business in the medium term.
- Although it may make good business in the short term it will ultimately cost in the long term.
- Liberal Democrat Andrew Waller said plans were in hand for York council to push more business to post offices.
- The bush telegraph has never made so much money; telecomms deregulation has no effect on volume business.
- The carnage had a huge cost in terms of lost business, but it worked wonders for the bottom line.
- It seemed a daft idea and the film did indifferent business at the box office.
- They are competing in terms of business but will join together when it will help to bring about benefits for retail across the board.
- Ahead of the opening of European markets traders were divided over the likely volume of business.
- My concern is that business is now very slow and I would like to build it back up.
- If this is the normal volume of business, can this venture be viable?
- According to several designers this has been one of the best fashion weeks in terms of business.
- In a desperate attempt to boost business, Scott commissions Hayley to create some rather snazzy pamphlets.
- Both wore the aura of violent gang life and that meant good box office business.
- Can you imagine automatically giving the Best Picture Oscar to the film that did the most business at the box office?
- Insiders denied the Midland was losing business in the increasingly competitive luxury hotel market.
- In business terms this club would bankrupt with them and O'Riordan at the helm.
- People were late for work, meetings were delayed, funerals were missed and business was affected.
- Getting higher volumes of business at lunchtime is another priority.
- It believes there are too many post offices for too little business.
- 2.2count noun A commercial operation or company.
Example sentencesExamples - From that time he has managed and run his business from Hong Kong where his principal activity is in shipping.
- New Labour prefers to give state money to private businesses to run public services.
- But business owners are more concerned about the time it takes just to keep up to date and comply with the new rules.
- The business he took charge of three decades ago was a small family-owned publisher of four local papers.
- It is not a satisfactory way of proceeding as far as our business is concerned.
- Now ATS employs more than 110 staff, of which about half are engaged in the retail business.
- As a matter of course, business owners protect themselves against health problems and loss of income.
- We would urge anyone seeking a loan to be wary of any business which requires an advance fee to be paid by money transfer to secure a loan.
- A shop owner who does not attend could see his business shut down for days.
- As far as our business is concerned, he said that the money he owes us will be paid by Christmas.
- In a surprise move Aberdeen will keep the tarnished Edinburgh brand alive in a bid to retain its investment trust business.
- Like any other business the Post Office must move with the times and respond to customer pressures.
- With conventional companies receivers attempt to preserve or sell the business as a going concern.
- As far as my dreams for our business are concerned, it's a case of what will be will be.
- Training people to provide quality services costs, but that should be going on in any business as a matter of course.
- He says it has made inroads into niche markets and scores highly on business banking, wealth management and mortgages.
- A city is composed of units too, people and houses and businesses and all the rest.
- Several rival operators have put their businesses on the market in the hope of cashing in.
- He was in charge of his family business, a mining company with no interest in politics.
- Transitory relief on business rates bills hide the real cost in future years.
Synonyms firm, company, concern, enterprise, venture, organization, operation, undertaking, industry, corporation, establishment, house, shop, office, bureau, agency, franchise, practice, partnership, consortium, cooperative, conglomerate, group, combine, syndicate informal outfit, set-up
3Australian (in Aboriginal English) traditional law and ritual. Example sentencesExamples - Ready access to a reliable source of food made the mission a valuable meeting place for traditional business.
- He worked there for about twenty years except for short breaks to carry out tribal business.
- The transformation of ritual into commerce represents a movement of Aboriginal ''business'' into something else.
- We want the right to perform business and law of significance to our culture.
- We are aboriginal women. We talk for our hunting business, ceremony business.
4informal in singular A situation or series of events, typically a scandalous or discreditable one. maybe something positive will come out of the whole awful business Example sentencesExamples - But the whole business has been more rushed, and they have the added pressure of fitting in a filming schedule.
- You see I'm no lawyer, but I happen to know that the business of court cases is a process.
- They think we are inured to the whole business and, in any case, suffused with a boredom with the political process.
- Older people especially are tempted to ignore the whole business and get on with a microchip-free life.
- She found the whole business of arguing backward and forward about the same detail utterly boring.
- In a word, I have to invite the reader to come in backward upon the whole business.
- And soon, the whole business of confession has become polluted with falsity and madness.
- Visitors to the Jorvik Centre take the whole business very seriously.
- The first thing he does is explain that electronics is incidental to the business of computation.
- Very quickly it all began to get out of hand and we came to a group decision that it was time to knock the whole business on the head and take up some new enthusiasm.
- Worse still, his acceptance speech demonstrated that he takes the whole business far too seriously.
- I speak only for myself, but this particular responsible voter soon became disgusted with the whole business.
- What happened to the business about his taking the Viscount's passports?
- The other good thing about the business is the advent of the WWE's DVD strength.
- Of course, the business of extramarital affairs was pretty high on the list.
- Then I can contact the Environmental Health Unit who will consider how to handle the whole business.
- After just a couple of days, Ashdown notes wearily, the whole business feels as if it has been dragging on for weeks.
- Evans will meet SFO detectives early next month in the hope that the whole business can be cleared up quickly.
- Well, he could be right, but another scenario can be that many see the whole business as largely irrelevant.
- Fifa, however, is showing every sign of being somewhat less than neutral about the whole business.
Synonyms affair, matter, thing, issue, case, set of circumstances, circumstance, situation, occasion, experience, event, incident, happening, occurrence, phenomenon, eventuality, episode, interlude, adventure - 4.1 A difficult matter.
Example sentencesExamples - Agreeing an interview venue with Stella Tennant should be a difficult business.
- Those are the things we have to worry about, and those are the things that make it such a difficult business.
- I saw it described once as the difficult business of telling stories to rich people and that's certainly one way of looking at it.
- That is putting politics above the national interest and it's a rotten business no matter who does it.
- There is, however, no cost implication where hyperbole is concerned in this business.
- Aside from the matter of being dead, there is the messy business of dirty linen.
- Analysing the current figures is a difficult business, not least because they are rising every day.
- You could always depend on John to come up with a decent price for farmers in what was a difficult business.
- The business of growing up may be difficult enough but even when it is over, life as a sports celebrity does not get any easier.
- I am persuaded that that company was chiefly concerned in this business.
- Which is a bit like discussing childbirth while skirting around the difficult business of mothers.
- Selecting reading matter for the bathroom is a delicate business.
- These days it can be a difficult business getting a pay rise or a job promotion.
- Then, as now, serving the Law and your conscience is a difficult business.
- The normal-scientific testing of an advanced theory is a difficult business.
- This business of the babies brought about some of Nain Ae's darkest days.
- None of this business of taking them to court, the hell with that.
- It is true that prediction is a difficult business, especially when it involves the future.
- We sympathise with people who have difficulty finding tenants but speculative building is still a risky business.
Synonyms matter, matter in question, affair, subject, topic, question, point, point at issue, item, thing, case, concern, theme
5theatrical slang Actions on stage other than dialogue. Example sentencesExamples - Like Marmite, you either savour this daft stage business or you wish its energy was never let out of the jar.
- What these critics are missing is the stage business that occurs during the dialogue.
- Moreover, it deliberately made use of the modern in its stage business.
- When you are sending up a recognisable piece of comedy business, based on another film, is permission needed?
6the businessBritish informal A very enjoyable or popular person or thing. this brandy is the business Example sentencesExamples - Like we've said - our Business Premier Class really is The Business.
- This one really is the business for anyone with an entrepreneurial notion, who wants a resource on all aspects of running a business.
- Thanks for being on time, in fact thanks for waiting for me as I was late - your valet parking service really is the business if you are in business!
- These heavy duty mobile field shelters really are the business when it comes to housing your horse or pony.
- This track really is the business.
7rare count noun A group of ferrets. his goons will go through the ship like a business of ferrets Example sentencesExamples - It's a "business of ferrets", according to my coworker, and no comment on whether or not this is kind to businessmen.
- There were currently two ferrets in Herbert's business.
- A vasectomized ferret gives the responsible ferret keeper the opportunity to maintain a busyness of ferrets without the unending production of kids.
- He was on the Thames headed seaward in company with two ponies and a business of ferrets.
- During that year he fed his business of ferrets exclusively on a diet of dead rats.
Phrases Matters not listed on the agenda of a meeting, raised after the items on the agenda have been discussed. the head teacher deliberately retained the item for any other business Example sentencesExamples - Chairman: I am happy the issues raised today can be discussed under any other business.
- They also claim their resolutions have been ignored but will have the opportunity to raise any matters under any other business.
- The issue was expected to be contentious but the debate lasted just five minutes and was raised under Any Other Business at a meeting.
- Any other business: it would seem to be time to admit that my turnout forecast for the elections was hopelessly wrong.
- When he failed to get a seconder he had to resort to raising the issue under "Any Other Business".
- Under Any Other Business Ann spoke about the new proposed court, which is still in the planning stages.
- However the main body of the meeting was taken up with items under Any Other Business.
- Dissatisfied councillors had to forego raising matters under Any Other Business (AOB) on the agenda due to time constraints.
- Under any other business, the chairman informed the meeting the village Christmas lights will switch on this year on Friday 10 December.
- The motion proposed was not properly before the meeting, as it had been proposed under any other business.
- This has been brought up by councillors under Any Other Business at their meetings at least 20 times and has featured on meeting agendas on six occasions.
An ongoing and unchanging state of affairs despite difficulties or disturbances. apart from being under new management, it's business as usual in the department Example sentencesExamples - The fact is that Montserrat now faces circumstances that cannot be treated like business as usual.
- We can give in to inertia, even just the inertia of routine and business as usual.
- At Manchester Airport it was business as usual despite a four-day walkout by security staff.
- According to management, the club is undergoing renovations but is open for business as usual.
- So the official line was that it will be business as usual despite the warning.
- She says it will be business as usual once all the regulation safety checks have been done.
- He said after a meeting on Wednesday night that it would be business as usual despite the ongoing situation.
- Regardless of the outcome, it is difficult to envisage the resumption of business as usual afterwards.
- Does this suggest that the press is kind of inching back towards business as usual?
- But it is not quite business as usual, despite the best efforts to pretend that it is.
Synonyms a normal state of affairs, business as usual, the daily round, routine, a normal pattern, order, regularity
1informal Do what is required or achieve the desired result. Rogers has got to do the business, score a hat trick or something Example sentencesExamples - I think that they were hoping that their two inside forwards would do the business for them and when that did not succeed they were totally bereft of ideas.
- It's a bit of a headache because he wants the ball all over the place, but if we can work hard and just give him the ball, he can do the business for us.
- Like we said earlier, it certainly looks the business - but does it do the business?
- This stuff certainly did the business, but it was always difficult to administer and the correct dose was hard to work out.
- They went out, played professionally, did the business and achieved their goal, by winning the three points.
- HIS comeback fight had been billed as ‘back to business’, but Alex Arthur could not have anticipated doing the business in quite such quick-time fashion as he achieved at Meadowbank last night.
- Eight of the team play their club football in France and know the business, but in the end doing the business against the French team was another matter.
- But the businesses around there are not doing the business yet they used to do.
- Should they not sit back and retire and let the young guns do the business, enjoying the fruits of their labours and play golf for fun again?
- Neil argues that any paper wanting to make its way in Scotland will need ‘very strong elbows indeed’ and claims that this one will never have the muscle to do the business.
- It is the application that really does the business while the hardware is just a platform.
- So if Follett finds herself having to discuss the business as much as she actually does the business, her motto may come in handy.
- When Freddie is doing the business with bat and ball, there are inevitable comparisons with Ian Botham.
Synonyms take effect, have an effect, be effective, be efficacious, work, function, act, have results, take hold - 1.1vulgar slang Have sexual intercourse.
Begin matters in earnest. the manager appeared and we got down to business Example sentencesExamples - I recognized beyond any shadow of a doubt that I had to marry this woman, though it took me a few months to actually get down to business.
- The election is over and it's time to get down to business.
- There will be three other documents before I finally get down to business.
- Whether you are talking to a bank teller or visiting a friend, it is considered rude not to engage in a proper greeting before getting down to business.
- The mayor recently got down to business outlining the Council's plans to boost economic and social development.
- We can now get down to business after all the planning.
- The leaders spoke briefly with reporters before they got down to business.
- That would be a good time for them to give their highly public differences a rest and get down to business.
- We've had a break and now we've got to get down to business again.
- I will skip the pleasantries and let you get down to business.
Occupy oneself with one's normal activities or routine. she's one of those people who quietly goes about her business Example sentencesExamples - It's quite quiet—people are going about their business, but the usual buzz of tourist activity has slackened a bit.
- They were going about their business largely oblivious of the commotion.
- I worry but I don't let it interfere with my going about my daily business.
- He was driving a very short distance and just going about his everyday business.
- They used covert cameras and created a sequence of shots of the unsuspecting woman going about her daily business.
- This was a seemingly unprovoked attack on an innocent person going about his business in the bus station.
- Both individuals and companies should be free to choose how we go about our business and conduct our lives.
- These "supporters" have in recent years been involved in violent attacks on people trying to go about their normal business.
- This was the sort of voice that accosted you while you were innocently going about your business.
- He has gone about his business quietly, never once feeling the need to tell the world of his greatness.
- Occasionally he climbed the belfry to inspect the faulty bell, and then he was able to look down on the whole village as it went about its business.
Have no right to do something. he had no business tampering with social services Example sentencesExamples - They fail to discourage behaviour which harms others while getting more and more involved in trying to control private behaviour where they have no business to interfere.
- Since these auto parts makers rely so heavily on such a small number of companies to sell to, they have no business but to actively involve in cutting their own throats.
- The Supreme Court reaffirmed its position that corporations have no business in our elections trying to influence our vote.
- I think Trudeau's philosophy of the government having no business in the bedrooms of this nation isn't such a bad idea.
- I have no business with anything that is in a customer's pocket.
- There are those who say that religionists have no business in politics.
- In fact, Congress has specifically said that federal courts have no business in probate issues.
- Children whose parents are still alive should have no business on the streets.
- There are certain areas where courts and bureaucrats have no business.
- If some people eat meat, animal lovers have no business to object.
1Operating, especially in commerce. they will have to import from overseas to remain in business Example sentencesExamples - He said he would have remained in business if trade had continued to grow at the rate it was before the roadworks.
- Should we help to start new businesses, or only those who are already in business?
- Those who cannot keep their customers happy do not deserve to remain in business.
- Unless the consumer sees what he desires, the business owner will not be able to stay in business.
- I don't think you'd ever see me in business again if I failed in this company.
- But he is not in business just to manage resource, he is in business to police London in all its entirety.
- It's hard to imagine the service remaining in business as we know it in either case.
- She fails to ask whether drugs companies would remain in business if they had no patents.
- The fact that he remains in business is testimony to him being broadly right.
- He might not be able to save your sodden carpets or your fire-damaged stock, but he will be able to keep you in business.
- 1.1informal Able to begin operations.
if you'll contact the right people, I should think we're in business Example sentencesExamples - You've gained entry and accepted your offer - now you're in business and the work really starts.
- Another 15 minutes of piped music, and now we're in business.
- When you buy a PhaseOne Package we will give you a wide format printer, now you're in business!
- So you've purchased a digital camcorder, hooked it up to your PC and now you're in business.
- Instantly on arrival at Balmoor an hour before kick-off there was evidence that this cup tie was in business.
Engaged in or prepared to engage in. I am not in the business of making accusations Example sentencesExamples - Who knows more about the business of being an entrepreneur than those in the business of farming?
- If you're in the business of building software, user dissatisfaction quite simply equates to reduced sales.
- We believe that the courts should be in the business of interpreting the law, not making it.
- They're in the business of managing the media and they get all the information they can.
- They are not in the business of plundering the past, they are in the business of rescuing large lumps of history from the wrecking ball.
- We're in the business of consciously and unconsciously changing our memories everyday.
- So much so that he is now engaged in the business of giving a few lessons to those in the Capital ready to explore the world of wines.
- Such words provide comfort to those in the business of hiding money for wealthy clients.
- As far as I'm concerned we shouldn't be in the business of further feeding what are already pretty plump cats.
- We all are in the business of food production and food preparation for the long term.
informal To an extraordinarily high degree or standard. these weeds spread like nobody's business Example sentencesExamples - They're giving stuff away like nobody's business.
- Brenda Watson, 39, said: ‘They go through here like nobody's business.’
- At the moment we just can't keep up with the demand, so we're expanding like nobody's business.
- The land is chalky too, which makes those grapes bubble like nobody's business.
- I bet I could draw jam-pots like nobody's business.
- And the woman can starch a collar like nobody's business.
- ‘On the day itself, it was raining like nobody's business,’ he said.
- I'm picking up the pace like nobody's business.
- It's dense, too, so even though I breeze through most books like nobody's business, I'm not doing that on this one, and that's a good thing, a good feeling.
- But he loved that thing like nobody's business.
the border is sealed by troops who mean business Example sentencesExamples - Google shifts focus to show it means business.
- This team means business. We are not there to show off. We want to achieve something together.
- The 100 British companies that are here today are hard evidence of the fact that Britain really does mean business.
- Eight businesses were based in Michigan, seven in New York, nineteen in Colorado, and fifteen in Montana, showing that salmon mean business across the nation.
- Community colleges mean business.
Refrain from prying or interfering. I asked her if he'd come home and she told me to mind my own business
be none of one's business Not be of direct relevance or concern to one. their finances are none of your business what goes on between Gabriel and me is none of your business Example sentencesExamples - I can take care of myself, thank you very much, and technically this is none of your business.
- His personal life is none of my business, nor am I interested in it.
- He screamed at me that it was none of my business how he spent his money.
- He had chosen to speak about something that is none of his business.
- Tell your housekeeper that my behaviour is none of her business.
- My own belief is that the board's first response should have been that the whole matter was none of its business.
- I admit the whole situation is interesting, but it is really none of our business.
- "My real name is none of your damned business," she said.
- The principle was essentially that if other people were different, then this was none of your business so long as they kept their nose out of yours.
- People's sexual orientation is none of our business.
- What I do is none of your business.
send someone about their business dated Tell someone to go away. Example sentencesExamples - They were disarmed and sent about their business.
- Servants who lingered to ask unnecessary questions were sharply sent about their business.
- But Steward-of-the-Games Rutilianus sent them about their business ungarlanded, and continued the defunct Alexander in possession of his holy office.
- They are declaimers and speechifiers, whom I will send about their business.
- "None but them I can send about their business if you wish," replied the man.
Origin Old English bisignis 'anxiety' (see busy, -ness); the sense 'state of being busy' was used from Middle English down to the 18th century, but is now differentiated as busyness. The use 'appointed task' dates from late Middle English, and from it all the other current senses have developed. Old English bisignis meant ‘anxiety’, but the main early sense, which lasted from the Middle Ages down to the 18th century, was ‘the state of being busy’. The modern senses began to develop in the later Middle Ages, and the meanings existed happily in parallel for several hundred years. Then people began to feel that a clear distinction needed to be made between simply being busy and having business to attend to. In the early 19th century this resulted in the form busyness, the exact equivalent of bisignis.
Definition of business in US English: businessnounˈbɪznəsˈbiznəs 1A person's regular occupation, profession, or trade. she had to do a lot of smiling in her business are you here on business? Example sentencesExamples - Darlington's owner George Reynolds was unable to be contacted today as he was in Norway on business for the next few days.
- When travelling away on business, always remember to pack a shaver.
- It claimed to offer free parking and transport to Manchester Airport for customers flying out on business or holidays.
- I was seven years old, and my father had been away on business for a month.
- Electors can appoint a proxy if they are unable to vote themselves, if they are out of the country on holiday or on business or in the armed forces.
- He told the jury that he had expected to travel north with his dad on business on that particular day in April last year.
- He was in Europe on business and, having read about the Silver Arrow on its website, was determined to compete.
- We live in better houses, we enjoy better holiday accommodation and when we go away on business we get a better deal.
- All three learned well and were good to their mother when their father was away on business, which he often was.
- When you stay in a hotel room on business and not on vacation, it's still a sort of like a vacation.
- McClung, who travels extensively on business, is eligible for major bonus points.
- He was in Japan, a guest of the Japanese consulate on business in his other profession as writer and journalist.
- Zurich surveyed firms to see if they carry out risk assessments of employees before letting them drive on business.
- When I first flew to Manhattan on business I stayed in the New Yorker Hotel.
- Ashraf regularly flew to Pakistan from Glasgow airport on business.
- Stewart never voted for devolution - he was in Dubai on business at the time of the 1997 referendum.
- For years, her mother travelled to London on business yet they rarely met up.
- The Prospective Group carried on business in promotion and market consultancy.
- When travelling on business, always pack an extra change of clothes.
- As for me, I'm probably going to have visit Kiev on business some time this year.
Synonyms work, line of work, line, occupation, profession, career, employment, job, day job, position, pursuit, vocation, calling, field, sphere, walk of life, trade, craft - 1.1 An activity that someone is engaged in.
what is your business here? Example sentencesExamples - Nor was this the only business in which Bevan engaged in the course of that year.
- What the Business Committee does is its business, but it is a relatively informal arrangement.
- I really do not think it is the business of retailers to have control over editorial content of magazines.
- All of an auctioneer's business requires the trust and goodwill of the public.
- Brousse gave the impression of being a man in charge of his business.
- Her fortnight in the city passed quickly, a whirl of business and unavoidable social engagements.
- Agencies of the state, in the course of their business, are required to keep a running record of their areas of activity.
- The liberal view was that religion was a private matter; it was not the business of the state to enforce a particular creed.
- The real answer is for the Government to protect the post offices' core business.
- It will be up to him to engage in the smoke-and-mirror business of political negotiation at a European level in the next week.
- It just seems to fly in the face of the way we do business as law enforcement officers.
- In my business the less you worry about making money the more likely you are to make it.
- Investment trusts are companies whose business it is to make money from investments.
- This should help to filter the heavy volumes when schools resume business in September.
- 1.2 A person's concern.
it's not my business to interfere the neighbors make it their business to know all about you Example sentencesExamples - We, as a society, cannot afford to turn our heads and claim it is none of our business.
- One of its aims is to help staff appreciate when problems they notice are private and none of their business or ours.
- Yes, but there is a whole bunch of people sitting at home saying it's none of my business.
- One of the ballet mothers has her nose in everyone's business no matter how personal it is.
- It's none of your business what goes on in the bedrooms of consenting adults.
- I'm not an American and I'm not a Republican so in a way it is none of my business.
- One of he things we forget is that what people think of us is none of our business.
- It's none of my business and if you ask me, stuff like that is meant to be secret.
- I know that his personal well-being is none of my business, but somehow it's hard not to worry about Harry.
- I did some other things that were on the list but those are none of your business.
- If he does not manage to get his work done by a certain time, it is his own incompetence and none of my business.
- Whatever was going to happen after they did their job was none of their business.
- To be told as you have been that it's none of your business is ridiculous.
- My colleagues laugh at you, and people walk past as if you're none of their business.
- The location is a farm in deepest Pennsylvania, the season is summer and the year is none of your business.
- Internal church or other religious affairs are simply no business whatsoever of any government.
- The police may be there to uphold the law, but our personal beliefs are none of their business.
- They all started to scold me for something which was totally none of their business.
- It's none of our business to control what the NCC thinks or says about politics.
- He was about to tell him off, to tell him that what went on between him and Xavier was none of his business.
Synonyms concern, affair, responsibility, province, preserve, duty, function, task, assignment, obligation, problem, worry, lookout - 1.3 Work that has to be done or matters that have to be attended to.
let's get down to business Example sentencesExamples - Father had a little bit of business to attend to so I spent two nights at the inn.
- Balloonist Rick Walczak plans to attend to some unfinished business in the next few weeks.
- The participants in the competition went about their business quite as a matter of fact.
- We were then told we could use the post office for routine business.
- She wrote a quick note saying she was sorry and that she had some business to attend to.
- Reluctantly, they did, leaving me to attend to some unfinished business.
- After giving up that business they attended a number of courses lasting from one to three days.
- This year however she returned to school late due to business she had to attend back home.
- For six months, he attended to farm business, only playing rugby for Scotland.
- If you have no serious business to attend to the next day, i strongly advise you give this stuff a try.
- Oh, may the workday pass quickly as there is serious business to attend to this evening.
- Nor was it a case of being called away to attend to urgent state business in Brussels.
- Calcavecchia has had unfinished business to attend to in the transatlantic challenge for some time.
- Mr Crausby blamed changes to the benefits payment system for the decline of day-to-day post office business.
- This means I have to go out tomorrow to attend to my business, whether I like it or not.
- It is also about the Post Office seeking to generate new business for itself.
- On Monday he took his son to his first day at school, and so yesterday was delayed in an office elsewhere by leftover business.
- Be that as it may, one can't help but wonder why Montserrat does not attend to its own business.
- See, Graham is attending to some unfinished business, and helping some friends out at the same time.
- We simply have more important business to attend to right now than nursing an old grudge.
2The practice of making one's living by engaging in commerce. as modifier the business community whom do you do business with in Manila? Example sentencesExamples - He did not engage in any business activities outside of his employment duties with the defendant.
- He cannot recall if the Trust was ever engaged in any business or ever lent money.
- We need to remove some of that regulation which is impacting on business.
- It would appear that new legislation regarding the payment of accounts has had no real effect on business.
- So then what of the world of business, trade, professions, academia and research?
- Promising to give prizes or bonuses on business trading without permit is subject to a penalty of up to one year.
- Over half the stock required repairs and business would be effected for weeks, Mr Nicholls said.
- As a market trader I understand business and running the town would require a sense of business.
- Then there's Lord Haskin's task force, attempting to reduce the burden of regulation on business.
- He believed it would have an adverse affect on business and trade in the community.
- The Government wants to enhance the capability of polytechs to engage with business and industry.
- But such extra burdens hardly help business, which now needs to lobby for joined-up tax reform.
- The Minister for Sport appears to be driven by business rather than sporting concerns.
- Warlords enjoy a situation of anarchy in which they can threaten the local population and engage in illegal business.
- But he is not impressed by the track record of the Scottish parliament on business.
- Narang's experience in managing business came in handy for his new assignment.
- I am going to be away just for one day and it would have been nice to add on some social activity with the business.
- Business representatives heard that demands on business have never been higher.
- He cites the response of business to environmental concerns over the past decade.
- He believed it would have adverse effect on business and trade in the community.
Synonyms trade, trading, commerce, buying and selling, dealing, traffic, trafficking, marketing, merchandising, bargaining - 2.1 Trade considered in terms of its volume or profitability.
Example sentencesExamples - It seemed a daft idea and the film did indifferent business at the box office.
- In business terms this club would bankrupt with them and O'Riordan at the helm.
- Liberal Democrat Andrew Waller said plans were in hand for York council to push more business to post offices.
- People were late for work, meetings were delayed, funerals were missed and business was affected.
- Can you imagine automatically giving the Best Picture Oscar to the film that did the most business at the box office?
- Getting higher volumes of business at lunchtime is another priority.
- The company hopes the deal will lead to new business in the medium term.
- It believes there are too many post offices for too little business.
- If this is the normal volume of business, can this venture be viable?
- The carnage had a huge cost in terms of lost business, but it worked wonders for the bottom line.
- Although it may make good business in the short term it will ultimately cost in the long term.
- According to several designers this has been one of the best fashion weeks in terms of business.
- Ahead of the opening of European markets traders were divided over the likely volume of business.
- What is particularly striking is the bounce in expectations concerning future business.
- The bush telegraph has never made so much money; telecomms deregulation has no effect on volume business.
- Both wore the aura of violent gang life and that meant good box office business.
- Insiders denied the Midland was losing business in the increasingly competitive luxury hotel market.
- My concern is that business is now very slow and I would like to build it back up.
- They are competing in terms of business but will join together when it will help to bring about benefits for retail across the board.
- In a desperate attempt to boost business, Scott commissions Hayley to create some rather snazzy pamphlets.
- 2.2 A commercial operation or company.
Example sentencesExamples - New Labour prefers to give state money to private businesses to run public services.
- He says it has made inroads into niche markets and scores highly on business banking, wealth management and mortgages.
- Transitory relief on business rates bills hide the real cost in future years.
- The business he took charge of three decades ago was a small family-owned publisher of four local papers.
- A shop owner who does not attend could see his business shut down for days.
- We would urge anyone seeking a loan to be wary of any business which requires an advance fee to be paid by money transfer to secure a loan.
- With conventional companies receivers attempt to preserve or sell the business as a going concern.
- Training people to provide quality services costs, but that should be going on in any business as a matter of course.
- As a matter of course, business owners protect themselves against health problems and loss of income.
- Now ATS employs more than 110 staff, of which about half are engaged in the retail business.
- He was in charge of his family business, a mining company with no interest in politics.
- From that time he has managed and run his business from Hong Kong where his principal activity is in shipping.
- Several rival operators have put their businesses on the market in the hope of cashing in.
- As far as my dreams for our business are concerned, it's a case of what will be will be.
- Like any other business the Post Office must move with the times and respond to customer pressures.
- It is not a satisfactory way of proceeding as far as our business is concerned.
- In a surprise move Aberdeen will keep the tarnished Edinburgh brand alive in a bid to retain its investment trust business.
- A city is composed of units too, people and houses and businesses and all the rest.
- As far as our business is concerned, he said that the money he owes us will be paid by Christmas.
- But business owners are more concerned about the time it takes just to keep up to date and comply with the new rules.
Synonyms firm, company, concern, enterprise, venture, organization, operation, undertaking, industry, corporation, establishment, house, shop, office, bureau, agency, franchise, practice, partnership, consortium, cooperative, conglomerate, group, combine, syndicate
3informal in singular An affair or series of events, typically a scandalous or discreditable one. they must be told about this blackmailing business Example sentencesExamples - You see I'm no lawyer, but I happen to know that the business of court cases is a process.
- Very quickly it all began to get out of hand and we came to a group decision that it was time to knock the whole business on the head and take up some new enthusiasm.
- But the whole business has been more rushed, and they have the added pressure of fitting in a filming schedule.
- In a word, I have to invite the reader to come in backward upon the whole business.
- What happened to the business about his taking the Viscount's passports?
- Older people especially are tempted to ignore the whole business and get on with a microchip-free life.
- And soon, the whole business of confession has become polluted with falsity and madness.
- Of course, the business of extramarital affairs was pretty high on the list.
- Worse still, his acceptance speech demonstrated that he takes the whole business far too seriously.
- Evans will meet SFO detectives early next month in the hope that the whole business can be cleared up quickly.
- After just a couple of days, Ashdown notes wearily, the whole business feels as if it has been dragging on for weeks.
- The other good thing about the business is the advent of the WWE's DVD strength.
- She found the whole business of arguing backward and forward about the same detail utterly boring.
- Then I can contact the Environmental Health Unit who will consider how to handle the whole business.
- They think we are inured to the whole business and, in any case, suffused with a boredom with the political process.
- Well, he could be right, but another scenario can be that many see the whole business as largely irrelevant.
- Visitors to the Jorvik Centre take the whole business very seriously.
- Fifa, however, is showing every sign of being somewhat less than neutral about the whole business.
- I speak only for myself, but this particular responsible voter soon became disgusted with the whole business.
- The first thing he does is explain that electronics is incidental to the business of computation.
Synonyms affair, matter, thing, issue, case, set of circumstances, circumstance, situation, occasion, experience, event, incident, happening, occurrence, phenomenon, eventuality, episode, interlude, adventure - 3.1 A group of related or previously mentioned things.
use carrots, cauliflower, and broccoli, and serve the whole business hot Example sentencesExamples - Talk Politics has a good post on His Bobness, Blair and the whole G8 business.
- What really interests me in this whole business is the question of where this editing behaviour will end.
- This whole business about saying hello and saying goodbye is tiresome.
- I realised then all over again just how vexed this whole business of Indianness actually is.
- She has been very quiet throughout this whole business, she has kept silent in the hope that this would help her get bail.
- I love the way he tells a story and doesn't with the whole rhyme business.
4theatrical slang Actions other than dialogue performed by actors. Example sentencesExamples - Moreover, it deliberately made use of the modern in its stage business.
- Like Marmite, you either savour this daft stage business or you wish its energy was never let out of the jar.
- When you are sending up a recognisable piece of comedy business, based on another film, is permission needed?
- What these critics are missing is the stage business that occurs during the dialogue.
5informal A scolding; harsh verbal criticism. the supervisor really gave him the business Example sentencesExamples - The irreverent New York Daily News gave him the business, in a full-column editorial.
- At Rice-Eccles Stadium, he spent as much time as he could on the field, near the sidelines, where Ute fans gave him the business, and he gave it back.
- But, the rest of the group was rather unforgiving and gave him "the business" for the entire rest of the trip, even though he had more than compensated for his tardiness by doing much of the digging and pulling of luggage.
- Either way Kobe gave him the business.
Phrases An unchanging state of affairs despite difficulties or disturbances. apart from being under new management, it's business as usual in the department Example sentencesExamples - At Manchester Airport it was business as usual despite a four-day walkout by security staff.
- Regardless of the outcome, it is difficult to envisage the resumption of business as usual afterwards.
- So the official line was that it will be business as usual despite the warning.
- But it is not quite business as usual, despite the best efforts to pretend that it is.
- According to management, the club is undergoing renovations but is open for business as usual.
- He said after a meeting on Wednesday night that it would be business as usual despite the ongoing situation.
- We can give in to inertia, even just the inertia of routine and business as usual.
- The fact is that Montserrat now faces circumstances that cannot be treated like business as usual.
- Does this suggest that the press is kind of inching back towards business as usual?
- She says it will be business as usual once all the regulation safety checks have been done.
Synonyms a normal state of affairs, business as usual, the daily round, routine, a normal pattern, order, regularity
Have no right to do something or be somewhere. he had no business tampering with social services Example sentencesExamples - Since these auto parts makers rely so heavily on such a small number of companies to sell to, they have no business but to actively involve in cutting their own throats.
- The Supreme Court reaffirmed its position that corporations have no business in our elections trying to influence our vote.
- They fail to discourage behaviour which harms others while getting more and more involved in trying to control private behaviour where they have no business to interfere.
- Children whose parents are still alive should have no business on the streets.
- There are certain areas where courts and bureaucrats have no business.
- In fact, Congress has specifically said that federal courts have no business in probate issues.
- If some people eat meat, animal lovers have no business to object.
- I have no business with anything that is in a customer's pocket.
- There are those who say that religionists have no business in politics.
- I think Trudeau's philosophy of the government having no business in the bedrooms of this nation isn't such a bad idea.
1Operating, especially in commerce. they will have to import from overseas to remain in business Example sentencesExamples - It's hard to imagine the service remaining in business as we know it in either case.
- But he is not in business just to manage resource, he is in business to police London in all its entirety.
- Unless the consumer sees what he desires, the business owner will not be able to stay in business.
- He might not be able to save your sodden carpets or your fire-damaged stock, but he will be able to keep you in business.
- Those who cannot keep their customers happy do not deserve to remain in business.
- He said he would have remained in business if trade had continued to grow at the rate it was before the roadworks.
- I don't think you'd ever see me in business again if I failed in this company.
- She fails to ask whether drugs companies would remain in business if they had no patents.
- The fact that he remains in business is testimony to him being broadly right.
- Should we help to start new businesses, or only those who are already in business?
- 1.1informal Able to begin operations.
if you'll contact the right people, I think we'll be in business Example sentencesExamples - Another 15 minutes of piped music, and now we're in business.
- So you've purchased a digital camcorder, hooked it up to your PC and now you're in business.
- You've gained entry and accepted your offer - now you're in business and the work really starts.
- When you buy a PhaseOne Package we will give you a wide format printer, now you're in business!
- Instantly on arrival at Balmoor an hour before kick-off there was evidence that this cup tie was in business.
Engaged in or prepared to engage in. I am not in the business of making accusations Example sentencesExamples - As far as I'm concerned we shouldn't be in the business of further feeding what are already pretty plump cats.
- We're in the business of consciously and unconsciously changing our memories everyday.
- If you're in the business of building software, user dissatisfaction quite simply equates to reduced sales.
- We believe that the courts should be in the business of interpreting the law, not making it.
- They are not in the business of plundering the past, they are in the business of rescuing large lumps of history from the wrecking ball.
- Who knows more about the business of being an entrepreneur than those in the business of farming?
- We all are in the business of food production and food preparation for the long term.
- Such words provide comfort to those in the business of hiding money for wealthy clients.
- So much so that he is now engaged in the business of giving a few lessons to those in the Capital ready to explore the world of wines.
- They're in the business of managing the media and they get all the information they can.
informal To an extraordinarily high degree or standard. these weeds spread like nobody's business Example sentencesExamples - At the moment we just can't keep up with the demand, so we're expanding like nobody's business.
- Brenda Watson, 39, said: ‘They go through here like nobody's business.’
- The land is chalky too, which makes those grapes bubble like nobody's business.
- They're giving stuff away like nobody's business.
- I'm picking up the pace like nobody's business.
- And the woman can starch a collar like nobody's business.
- ‘On the day itself, it was raining like nobody's business,’ he said.
- I bet I could draw jam-pots like nobody's business.
- But he loved that thing like nobody's business.
- It's dense, too, so even though I breeze through most books like nobody's business, I'm not doing that on this one, and that's a good thing, a good feeling.
the border is sealed by troops who mean business Example sentencesExamples - The 100 British companies that are here today are hard evidence of the fact that Britain really does mean business.
- This team means business. We are not there to show off. We want to achieve something together.
- Community colleges mean business.
- Eight businesses were based in Michigan, seven in New York, nineteen in Colorado, and fifteen in Montana, showing that salmon mean business across the nation.
- Google shifts focus to show it means business.
Refrain from prying or interfering.
be none of one's business Not be of direct relevance or concern to one. their finances are none of your business what goes on between Gabriel and me is none of your business Example sentencesExamples - He screamed at me that it was none of my business how he spent his money.
- The principle was essentially that if other people were different, then this was none of your business so long as they kept their nose out of yours.
- I can take care of myself, thank you very much, and technically this is none of your business.
- Tell your housekeeper that my behaviour is none of her business.
- My own belief is that the board's first response should have been that the whole matter was none of its business.
- I admit the whole situation is interesting, but it is really none of our business.
- He had chosen to speak about something that is none of his business.
- People's sexual orientation is none of our business.
- His personal life is none of my business, nor am I interested in it.
- What I do is none of your business.
- "My real name is none of your damned business," she said.
send someone about his/her business dated Tell someone to go away. Example sentencesExamples - They were disarmed and sent about their business.
- But Steward-of-the-Games Rutilianus sent them about their business ungarlanded, and continued the defunct Alexander in possession of his holy office.
- They are declaimers and speechifiers, whom I will send about their business.
- "None but them I can send about their business if you wish," replied the man.
- Servants who lingered to ask unnecessary questions were sharply sent about their business.
Origin Old English bisignis ‘anxiety’ (see busy, -ness); the sense ‘state of being busy’ was used from Middle English down to the 18th century, but is now differentiated as busyness. The use ‘appointed task’ dates from late Middle English, and from it all the other current senses have developed. |