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business

business

272 1.8
The customers and trade a shop or company gets
  • noun
  • /ˈbɪznəs/
: clientela
  • So there must be a lot of business coming through here during Valentine's Day, huh?
  • customers of the business
  • lose business
  • loss of business

You need to make sure that you win the business from that buyer.

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Examples

  • The different transport companies competed for this business through their local agents in the United States.

    Academic text (1993)
  • I'm clear you want to triple your business and you even have strategies for it.

  • That probably cost us some new business in the past.

  • Because business is so bad, I have to let you go.

  • The second time, they met mostly people who had business with the bank.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • Without his help, the shelter likely would have gone out of business long ago.

    Academic text (2011)
  • They view their business as serving their customers.

  • He said you can solve every business problem by simply talking to your customers.

  • A parking lot will be good business not only for Burr but for every merchant in town.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • Many customers prefer this store because it offers great service and a wide selection of products, which helps attract new business.

Synonyms

customer
vsbusiness
∞ 1.0

A person or company that buys from a business

uses the same idea collectively or as the total trade from them
market
vsbusiness
475 1.1

The people who buy or might buy a product

is about the actual buyers or the sales those buyers bring
commerce
vsbusiness
214 2.7

Buying and selling goods and services on a large scale

is narrower, naming the buyers or the sales they contribute
clientele
vsbusiness
59 5.5

A group of customers who use a business or service

refers to that group or to the trade volume they bring
trade
vsbusiness
7 1.5

The amount of business a shop or company gets from customers

also covers the people who buy, not only the sales total
patronage
vsbusiness
4 6.0

The regular buying that customers do at a shop or restaurant

focuses more on the people themselves or the sales they produce

Antonyms

2 4.1

A person who does not use a certain product, service or substance

Idioms

736 2.7

Working to sell things or running a company like a shop

142 5.8

A private matter that does not concern you

Normal work or operations that continue despite problems

59 5.8

Tell someone not to ask about or get involved in other people's lives

to mean business
  • Informal
32 4.6

To show that you are serious and not joking

10 8.2

Do something with very great energy or speed

monkey business
  • Informal
9 4.6

Playful mischief that can include small dishonest acts to trick or amuse people

5 5.9

It does not concern someone and they should not ask about it

An ability to understand and do well in business

Tell someone angrily that they did something wrong

Private things about people that other people do not need to know

A saying that theatre or film work is more exciting, rewarding, and difficult than other jobs

Be aware of other people's private lives

Stay out of other people's private matters and focus on your own

A style that looks formal at the front and casual at the back

Compounds

116 3.2

The world of movies, TV, theatre, and music and the people who work there

115 3.3

Large, powerful companies that influence society and politics

104 2.4

A company owned and run by people from the same family

84 1.0

A small printed card showing a person's name, job, company, and contact details

A school that teaches people how to run or manage companies, often to get an MBA

Work or tasks that are not finished and need attention

A person who is rich and powerful in business

People who run, manage, or own companies

People who own or run companies and shops in an area

A list of items to deal with in a meeting

35 2.4

An agreement between companies or people to exchange goods and services for money

A formal gathering where people talk about work or company matters

Private matters that concern only you

27 5.3

Dishonest or harmful actions by a company and its workers that damage trust

A building where a company does its work, for example selling goods or offering services

A formal agreement between two people or companies to work together

17 1.8

A matching jacket and trousers worn for formal work or important meetings

A senior manager in a company who makes important decisions and leads its work

15 3.4

An industry that finds, produces, and sells oil and fuel

14 2.7

Money that a company borrows from a bank to start or grow

business cycle
  • Specialized
14 3.5

Repeated periods when an economy grows and then shrinks

A business that buys, sells, or rents land and buildings like houses

A central part of a city where most offices and shops are

risky business
  • Informal
13 4.4

An activity that could make you lose a lot of money or get hurt

11 3.1

A person who travels for work and whose employer pays their travel costs

business expense
  • Specialized
11 3.0

A cost you pay while running a business, often needed for work

business news
  • Literature
11 1.6

News about companies, money, and the economy

Doing well in a business, like making money or growing

A type of product or service a company offers

Part of a person's life spent working in business or a job

Part of a country's economy made of companies and groups that sell goods or services

business activity
  • Specialized
8 3.4

Actions done to run a company, like buying, selling or providing services

business end
  • Informal
8 4.7

The part that does the real work, like the sharp end of a knife

Part of the United States government that helps small businesses with loans and advice

An organization that sells goods or services to make a profit

business editor
  • Literature
6 3.0

An editor at a newspaper or magazine who manages business news

A place where people do paperwork and other work for a company

A company that makes and sells computers and parts

A meal, usually at a restaurant, where people discuss work matters

A group that sells things or provides services and has people working in it

The industry that designs, makes, and sells clothes and accessories

A company that sells goods or services to make money

A company that runs regular passenger flights

A company that makes things using machines and workers

A group of similar products or services that a company sells

A college that teaches practical office skills for business, like typing and accounting

An address where a company has its office or is registered

A company that prints books, magazines, and marketing material

A degree you study after a first degree that teaches management and finance

A place where people sell things or offer services, like a shop

2 2.7

A formal letter from one company or person to another about business matters

2 2.8

An industry that makes and sells toys for children

A part of a company that handles one area of work, like sales or marketing

A sale where a shop sells everything at low prices because it is closing

Help for a person or team to improve their work in a company

Ability to lead a company, make important decisions, and guide its people

2 3.2

A company that sells goods or provides services, including its people

A university degree you study after your first degree that teaches how to manage businesses

An amount a business can subtract from its income before paying taxes for money spent running the business

A connection between companies that helps them work together

1 4.0

A person who manages business affairs for employees and represents them to employers

business index
  • Specialized
1 3.5

A number showing how active businesses are in an economy over time

1 5.6

A name a business uses that is not its legal name

A shop or company that sells goods at lower prices than usual

An industry that processes and packs meat for shops

Money a business gets to cover lost income and fixed costs when its work stops after a disaster

A company where the people who work there have most or all the shares

An activity that is risky and has an uncertain result

1 7.9

Small actions an actor does on stage to make the scene feel real

business girl
  • Archaic
1 5.1

A woman who works in business, for example in a company or office

1 7.4

A way of studying and changing how a company works to make it faster, cheaper, and better

1 3.3

A system that uses computers to handle business information for accounting and management

A very successful business decision or deal that brings good results

How Large

business
272 1.8
clientele
59 5.5
customer
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

business singular
businesses plural

Morphology

business = busy (semi-transparent) = busy + ness

Derived from 'busy' + '-ness'; the sense referring to customers or amount of trade is a pragmatic extension from being busy to having business, so learners may not predict the commercial nuance from the base alone.

Etymology

Business began as busy ('active') plus -ness ('state'), so it meant how much activity there was. That's why business can mean the customers or the amount of trade a shop or company has.