Word: business Part of Speech: noun Etymology: 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" Pronunciation: /ˈbɪz.nɪs/, /ˈbɪz.nɪz/, /ˈbɪz.nəs/, /ˈbɪz.nəz/, /ˈbɪd.nɪs/ 1. A specific commercial enterprise or establishment. Labels: countable Example: I left my father's business. Example: The ability to shift profits to low-tax countries by locating intellectual property in them, which is then licensed to related businesses in high-tax countries, is often assumed to be the preserve of high-tech companies. 2. A person's occupation, work, or trade. Labels: countable Example: He is in the motor and insurance businesses. Example: I'm going to Las Vegas on business. 3. Commercial, industrial, or professional activity. Labels: uncountable Example: He's such a poor cook, I can't believe he's still in business! Example: We do business all over the world. 4. The volume or amount of commercial trade. Labels: uncountable Example: Business has been slow lately. Example: They did nearly a million dollars of business over the long weekend. 5. One's dealings; patronage. Labels: uncountable Example: I shall take my business elsewhere. 6. Private commercial interests taken collectively. Labels: uncountable Example: This proposal will satisfy both business and labor. Example: Policing the relationship between government and business in a free society is difficult. Businesspeople have every right to lobby governments, and civil servants to take jobs in the private sector. 7. The management of commercial enterprises, or the study of such management. Labels: uncountable Example: I studied business at Harvard. 8. A particular situation or activity. Labels: countable Example: This UFO stuff is a mighty strange business. Example: The wolde ſome mayſter perhappes clowt ye / But as for me ye nede nat doute ye / For I had leuer be without ye / Then haue ſuche beſyneſſe aboute ye. 9. Any activity or objective needing to be dealt with; especially, one of a financial or legal matter. Labels: countable Example: Our principal business here is to get drunk. Example: Let's get down to business. 10. Something involving one personally. Labels: uncountable Example: That's none of your business. Example: My work is no business of yours. 11. Matters that come before a body for deliberation or action. Labels: uncountable Example: If that concludes the announcements, we'll move on to new business. 12. Business class, the class of seating provided by airlines between first class and coach. Labels: uncountable Example: Gates, who always flew business or coach, didn't particularly like the high air fares Nishi was charging to Microsoft,[…] 13. Ellipsis of stage business (“aspect of acting”). Labels: abbreviation, alt-of, countable, ellipsis, uncountable Example: The business with the hat is a fine example of the difficulty of distinguishing between 'natural' and 'formal' acting. 14. Hollywood, the entertainment industry. Labels: countable, informal, uncountable 15. Prostitution. Labels: countable, slang, uncountable 16. The collective noun for a group of ferrets. Labels: countable, rare Example: I'm sure his goons will go through the ship like a business of ferrets, and they'll want to look in our baggage. 17. Something very good; top quality. Labels: UK, countable, slang, uncountable Example: These new phones are the business! 18. The act of defecation, or the excrement itself, particularly that of a non-human animal. Labels: slang, uncountable Example: Your ferret left his business all over the floor. Example: As the cart went by, its horse lifted its tail and did its business. 19. Disruptive shenanigans. Labels: countable, slang, uncountable 20. Matters. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: sorry business