1 [noncount] a : the activity of making, buying, or selling goods or providing services in exchange for money
▪ The store will be open for business next week. [=the store will be ready for customers next week] ▪ The store has lost a significant amount of business since the factory closed. ▪ Allowing customers to leave your store unsatisfied is bad (for) business. ▪ The new Web site has been good for (attracting) business. ▪ What line of business [=work] are you in? ▪ She works in the publishing business. ▪ the fashion/music/restaurant business ▪ We do business with [=sell to or buy from] companies overseas. ▪ David has decided to go into business with his brother. ▪ Remember that your customers can take their business elsewhere. [=your customers can go to another place to do business] ▪ Their publishing company is the best in the business. ▪ a place of business [=a place, such as a store, bank, etc., where business is done] — often used before another noun ▪ business opportunities/contacts/interests ▪ The business world is responding to changes in technology. [=businesses are responding to changes in technology] ▪ Someone will be available to answer your call during regular business hours. [=the hours that the office is open to do business] ▪ a business meeting [=a meeting at which matters of business are discussed] — see also agribusiness, big business, in business (below), out of business (below), show business
b : work that is part of a job
▪ Is your trip to Miami (for) business or pleasure? ▪ I have to go to New York City on/for business next week. — sometimes used before another noun ▪ a business trip [=a trip that is made in order to do business] ▪ I am flying business class [=in a seating section of an airplane that is more expensive than the main section but less expensive than first class] from Tokyo to New York.
c : the amount of activity that is done by a store, company, factory, etc.
▪ Business has been slow/bad lately. [=there have been few customers, sales, etc., lately] ▪ Business was good/booming. ▪ They advertised to increase business. ▪ How is business? 2 [count] : an organization (such as a store, company, or factory) that makes, buys, or sells goods or provides services in exchange for money
▪ He has the skills necessary to run/operate/start a business. ▪ The town is trying to attract new businesses. ▪ local businesses ▪ She joined the family business [=the business owned or operated by her family] after graduating from college. — sometimes used before another noun ▪ I had lunch with some business associates. ▪ In addition to being married, the two are also business partners. ▪ The restaurant is in the business district. [=the part of a city or town where there are many businesses] ▪ the business community [=people involved in the upper levels of businesses] 3 [singular] : something that concerns a particular person, group, etc. : something that needs to be considered or dealt with
▪ Do we have any other business we need to discuss? ▪ Air quality is a serious business. [=air quality is something people should think about seriously] ▪ What's this business [=news] I hear about you moving away? ▪ Educating students is the business [=responsibility] of schools. ▪ No, I didn't ask him what he wanted the car for. That's his business. ▪ I won't answer that question. Who I choose to vote for is my business. ▪ He's decided to make it his business [=make it his goal] to bring more affordable housing to the city. ▪ “Who did you vote for?” “That's none of your business.” [=that's private information that you should not be asking about] ▪ It's no business of yours who I voted for. ◊The phrase mind your own business is used as an informal and often somewhat impolite way to tell someone to stop watching or asking about something that is private.
▪ Mind your own business and let them talk alone. ◊To say that you were minding your own business when something happened means that you were doing what you normally do and were not bothering anyone.
▪ I was walking down the street, minding my own business, when all of a sudden some man started yelling at me. ◊If you say something is nobody's business, you mean that it is private and other people do not need to know about it.
▪ It's nobody's business what we were talking about. ◊Someone who has no business doing something has no right to do it.
▪ You have no business telling me what I can and cannot wear! I'll wear whatever I like! 4 [noncount] : something that must be done
▪ I have some business in town Friday afternoon. [=I have to do something in town Friday afternoon] ▪ He had to leave the meeting early because he had to attend to some unfinished business. [=something not done that needs to be done] ▪ Now that we've all introduced ourselves, let's get down to business. [=start doing what needs to be done, start working] ▪ I was just going about my business [=doing what I usually do], when I heard a big crash. ▪ Sarah is good at taking care of business [=doing what needs to be done], so she's been put in charge of organizing the event. ▪ The church has hired someone to take care of the bills and all that business. [=everything else that needs to be done] ▪ A public library is in the business of providing information to the public. [=the job/purpose of a public library is to provide information] ▪ I'm not in the business of lending money to people I hardly know. [=I don't lend money to people I hardly know] 5 [singular] : a matter, event, or situation — usually used after an adjective ▪ Divorce can be such a messy business. [=affair] ▪ The earthquake was a terrible business. ▪ Predicting how people will react to something is a tricky business. ▪ Investing all your money in one stock is (a) very risky business. ▪ “How long did the ceremony take?” “Oh, the whole business was over in less than an hour.” ▪ Let's just forget about that business of me being unhappy with my job. — see also monkey business