adj · noun · 32 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
/ˈbɪz.nɪs/
/ˈbɪz.nɪz/
/ˈbɪz.nəs/weak vowel merger
/ˈbɪz.nəz/weak vowel merger
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Southern-US:/ˈbɪz.nɪs/
Southern-US:/ˈbɪd.nɪs/
rhymes with -ɪznɪs
rhymes with -ɪznɪz
rhymes with -ɪznəs
rhymes with -ɪznəz
rhymes with -ɪdnəs
rhymes with -ɪdnəz
CMU ARPABET:B IH1 Z N AH0 S
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
CMU ARPABET 2:B IH1 Z N IH0 S
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Of, to, pertaining to, or used for purposes of conducting trade, commerce, governance, advocacy or other professional purposes.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
Please do not use this phone for personal calls; it is a business phone.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
adj
Meaning 2
Professional, businesslike, having concern for good business practice.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
adj
Meaning 3
Supporting business, conducive to the conduct of business.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
A specific commercial enterprise or establishment.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable
Examples
I left my father's business.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: business, company, enterprise, firm
Antonyms: none provided
5
noun
Meaning 5
A person's occupation, work, or trade.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable
Examples
He is in the motor and insurance businesses.
I'm going to Las Vegas on business.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
noun
Meaning 6
Commercial, industrial, or professional activity.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable
Examples
He's such a poor cook, I can't believe he's still in business!
We do business all over the world.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
7
noun
Meaning 7
The volume or amount of commercial trade.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable
Examples
Business has been slow lately.
They did nearly a million dollars of business over the long weekend.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
8
noun
Meaning 8
One's dealings; patronage.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable
Examples
I shall take my business elsewhere.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
9
noun
Meaning 9
Private commercial interests taken collectively.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable
Examples
This proposal will satisfy both business and labor.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
10
noun
Meaning 10
The management of commercial enterprises, or the study of such management.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable
Examples
I studied business at Harvard.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
11
noun
Meaning 11
A particular situation or activity.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable
Examples
This UFO stuff is a mighty strange business.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
12
noun
Meaning 12
Any activity or objective needing to be dealt with; especially, one of a financial or legal matter.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable
Examples
Our principal business here is to get drunk.
Let's get down to business.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
13
noun
Meaning 13
Something involving one personally.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable
Examples
That's none of your business.
My work is no business of yours.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: affair
Antonyms: none provided
14
noun
Meaning 14
Matters that come before a body for deliberation or action.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable
Topics: government, parliamentary-procedure
Examples
If that concludes the announcements, we'll move on to new business.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
15
noun
Meaning 15
Business class, the class of seating provided by airlines between first class and coach.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable
Topics: lifestyle, tourism, transport, travel
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
16
noun
Meaning 16
Ellipsis of stage business (“aspect of acting”).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Etymology tree Proto-West Germanic *bisīg Old English bisiġ Proto-Germanic *-in- Proto-Indo-European *-h2 Proto-Indo-European *-éh2 Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-eh2yéti Proto-Indo-European *-h2ti Proto-Germanic *-ōną Proto-Germanic *-inōną Proto-Indo-European *-dyé- Proto-Germanic *-atjaną Proto-Indo-European *-tus Proto-Germanic *-þuz Proto-Germanic *-assuz Proto-Germanic *-inassuz Proto-West Germanic *-nassī Old English -nes Old English bisiġnes Middle English bisynes English business From Middle English busines, busynes, businesse, bisynes, from Old English bisiġnes (“business, busyness”), equivalent to busy + -ness. Doublet of busyness. Sense 17 (something very good, top quality), possibly derives from "the bee's knees"
Across languages
Translations
384 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Albanian:
biznes
— commercial enterprise or establishment
Albanian:
kompani
— commercial enterprise or establishment
Arabic:
شَرِكَة
(šarika)
— commercial enterprise or establishment
Armenian:
բիզնես
(biznes)
— commercial enterprise or establishment
Armenian:
ձեռնարկություն
(jeṙnarkutʻyun)
— commercial enterprise or establishment
Azerbaijani:
şirkət
— commercial enterprise or establishment
Azerbaijani:
firma
— commercial enterprise or establishment
Azerbaijani:
biznes
— commercial enterprise or establishment
Belarusian:
прадпрые́мства
(pradpryjémstva)
— commercial enterprise or establishment
Belarusian:
бі́знэс
(bíznes)
— commercial enterprise or establishment
Bengali:
ব্যবসা
(bêbśa)
— commercial enterprise or establishment
Bengali:
কারবার
(karbar)
— commercial enterprise or establishment
Bulgarian:
предприя́тие
(predprijátie)
— commercial enterprise or establishment
Bulgarian:
би́знес
(bíznes)
— commercial enterprise or establishment
Burmese:
ကုမ္ပဏီ
(kumpa.ni)
— commercial enterprise or establishment
Burmese:
စီးပွားရေးလုပ်ငန်း
(ci:pwa:re:lupngan:)
— commercial enterprise or establishment
Catalan:
empresa
— commercial enterprise or establishment
Catalan:
companyia
— commercial enterprise or establishment
Catalan:
negoci
— commercial enterprise or establishment
Chinese Cantonese:
事業 /事业
(si6 jip6)
— commercial enterprise or establishment
Chinese Cantonese:
企業 /企业
(kei5 jip6)
— commercial enterprise or establishment
Chinese Mandarin:
事業 /事业
(shìyè)
— commercial enterprise or establishment
Chinese Mandarin:
企業 /企业
(qǐyè)
— commercial enterprise or establishment
Czech:
podnik
— commercial enterprise or establishment
Czech:
byznys
— commercial enterprise or establishment
Danish:
forretning
— commercial enterprise or establishment
Dutch:
bedrijf
— commercial enterprise or establishment
Dutch:
zaak
— commercial enterprise or establishment
Dutch:
onderneming
— commercial enterprise or establishment
Esperanto:
entrepreno
— commercial enterprise or establishment
Esperanto:
establo
— commercial enterprise or establishment
Esperanto:
negoco
— commercial enterprise or establishment
Esperanto:
firmao
— commercial enterprise or establishment
Estonian:
bisnis
— commercial enterprise or establishment
Estonian:
firma
— commercial enterprise or establishment
Estonian:
kompanii
— commercial enterprise or establishment
Estonian:
ettevõte
— commercial enterprise or establishment
Finnish:
liike
— commercial enterprise or establishment
Finnish:
yritys
— commercial enterprise or establishment
Finnish:
liiketoiminta
— commercial enterprise or establishment
Finnish:
myymälä
— commercial enterprise or establishment
Finnish:
kauppa
— commercial enterprise or establishment
French:
entreprise
— commercial enterprise or establishment
French:
firme
— commercial enterprise or establishment
French:
compagnie
— commercial enterprise or establishment
Galician:
negocio
— commercial enterprise or establishment
Georgian:
საწარმო
(sac̣armo)
— commercial enterprise or establishment
Georgian:
ბიზნესი
(biznesi)
— commercial enterprise or establishment
Georgian:
კომპანია
(ḳomṗania)
— commercial enterprise or establishment
Georgian:
ფირმა
(pirma)
— commercial enterprise or establishment
German:
Geschäft
— commercial enterprise or establishment
German:
Unternehmen
— commercial enterprise or establishment
German:
Firma
— commercial enterprise or establishment
Greek:
επιχείρηση
(epicheírisi)
— commercial enterprise or establishment
Greek:
εταιρεία
(etaireía)
— commercial enterprise or establishment
Greek:
εταιρία
(etairía)
— commercial enterprise or establishment
Ancient Greek:
ἐργασία
(ergasía)
— commercial enterprise or establishment
Hebrew:
עֵסֶק
(ések)
— commercial enterprise or establishment
Hindi:
व्यापार
(vyāpār)
— commercial enterprise or establishment
Hindi:
व्यवसाय
(vyavasāy)
— commercial enterprise or establishment
Hindi:
वाणिज्य
(vāṇijya)
— commercial enterprise or establishment
Indonesian:
perusahaan
— commercial enterprise or establishment
Irish:
gnólacht
— commercial enterprise or establishment
Irish:
gnó
— commercial enterprise or establishment
Italian:
azienda
— commercial enterprise or establishment
Italian:
compagnia
— commercial enterprise or establishment
Japanese:
事業
(jigyō)
— commercial enterprise or establishment
Japanese:
企業
(kigyō)
— commercial enterprise or establishment
Kazakh:
бизнес
(biznes)
— commercial enterprise or establishment
Kazakh:
фирма
(firma)
— commercial enterprise or establishment
Kazakh:
компания
(kompaniä)
— commercial enterprise or establishment
Kazakh:
кәсіпорын
(käsıporyn)
— commercial enterprise or establishment
Khmer:
ហាងជំនួញ
(haang cumnuəñ)
— commercial enterprise or establishment
Khmer:
សហគ្រាស
(saʼhaʼkriəh)
— commercial enterprise or establishment
Khmer:
បរិស័ទ
(bɑɑresat)
— commercial enterprise or establishment
Korean:
사업
(sa'eop)
— commercial enterprise or establishment
Korean:
기업
(gieop)
— commercial enterprise or establishment
Korean:
업무
(eommu)
— commercial enterprise or establishment
Kyrgyz:
бизнес
(biznes)
— commercial enterprise or establishment
Kyrgyz:
фирма
(firma)
— commercial enterprise or establishment
Kyrgyz:
компания
(kompaniya)
— commercial enterprise or establishment
Kyrgyz:
ишкана
(işkana)
— commercial enterprise or establishment
Lao:
ທຸລະກິດ
(thu la kit)
— commercial enterprise or establishment
Lao:
ບໍລິສັດ
(bǭ li sat)
— commercial enterprise or establishment
Latvian:
uzņēmums
— commercial enterprise or establishment
Latvian:
firma
— commercial enterprise or establishment
Latvian:
sabiedrība
— commercial enterprise or establishment
Latvian:
bizness
— commercial enterprise or establishment
Latvian:
kompānija
— commercial enterprise or establishment
Lithuanian:
biznis
— commercial enterprise or establishment
Lithuanian:
firma
— commercial enterprise or establishment
Lithuanian:
kompanija
— commercial enterprise or establishment
Lithuanian:
bendrovė
— commercial enterprise or establishment
Macedonian:
де́јност
(déjnost)
— commercial enterprise or establishment
Macedonian:
бизнис
(biznis)
— commercial enterprise or establishment
Malagasy:
kanonkanona
— commercial enterprise or establishment
Malagasy:
raharaha
— commercial enterprise or establishment
Malay:
perniagaan
— commercial enterprise or establishment
Māori:
pakihi
— commercial enterprise or establishment
Mongolian:
үйлдвэр
(üjldver)
— commercial enterprise or establishment
Mongolian:
компани
(kompani)
— commercial enterprise or establishment
Mongolian:
фирм
(firm)
— commercial enterprise or establishment
Norwegian Bokmål:
forretning
— commercial enterprise or establishment
Occitan:
entrepresa
— commercial enterprise or establishment
