business
a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it
How often you will meet it
Rank 344 of 71,295 words measured. It occurs 59,285 times across 175,113 chapters — 0.028% of every word in the library.
It belongs to the first 500 words, the band worth learning before any other.
What it means
noun
- a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it also: concern, business concern, business organization, business organisation he bought his brother's businessa small mom-and-pop business
- the activity of providing goods and services involving financial and commercial and industrial aspects also: commercial enterprise, business enterprise computers are now widely used in business
- the principal activity in your life that you do to earn money also: occupation, job, line of work, line he's not in my line of business
- a rightful concern or responsibility it's none of your businessmind your own business
- an immediate objective gossip was the main business of the evening
- the volume of commercial activity business is good todayshow me where the business was today
business in real books
Each sentence below was written by a published author and is taken from a different book in our library. Open one to read the passage it came from, with narration.
-
This has been a most rotten business.
The Mysterious Affair at Styles · Agatha Christie · Chapter 1
-
You said you had some business there this afternoon.
Ethan Frome · Edith Wharton · Chapter 1
-
But the sagacious steed knew its business thoroughly well, and was indeed an admirable histrion.
Punch — Volume 99, August 16, 1890 · Various · Chapter 1
-
He must get the girl and the chaperon off his hands, and be at his business.
The Courage of the Commonplace · Mary Raymond Shipman Andrews · Chapter 1
-
Special attention is | | called to the following grades, as being better suited for | | business purposes than any Pen manufactured.
Punchinello, Volume 1, No. 08, May 21, 1870 · Various · Chapter 1