business

Definition of businessnext
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as in patronage
transactions or economic support provided by customers only places that are equal opportunity employers will get my business

Synonyms & Similar Words

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as in commerce
the buying and selling of goods especially on a large scale and between different places this bookstore is a place of business, not a free library, so please do your reading elsewhere

Synonyms & Similar Words

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as in role
the action for which a person or thing is specially fitted or used or for which a thing exists plants going about the business of photosynthesis provide the Earth with a renewable source of oxygen

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Synonym Chooser

How does the noun business differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of business are calling, employment, métier, occupation, pursuit, and work. While all these words mean "a specific sustained activity engaged in especially in earning one's living," business suggests activity in commerce or the management of money and affairs.

the business of managing a hotel

When is it sensible to use calling instead of business?

In some situations, the words calling and business are roughly equivalent. However, calling applies to an occupation viewed as a vocation or profession.

the ministry seemed my true calling

When would employment be a good substitute for business?

The words employment and business can be used in similar contexts, but employment implies work for which one has been engaged and is being paid by an employer.

your employment with this firm is hereby terminated

In what contexts can métier take the place of business?

Although the words métier and business have much in common, métier implies a calling or pursuit for which one believes oneself to be especially fitted.

acting was my one and only métier

When might occupation be a better fit than business?

The words occupation and business are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, occupation implies work in which one engages regularly especially as a result of training.

his occupation as a trained auto mechanic

When can pursuit be used instead of business?

While the synonyms pursuit and business are close in meaning, pursuit suggests a trade, profession, or avocation followed with zeal or steady interest.

her family considered medicine the only proper pursuit

Where would work be a reasonable alternative to business?

The meanings of work and business largely overlap; however, work may apply to any purposeful activity whether remunerative or not.

her work as a hospital volunteer

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of business The Pioneers’ Museum has curated a collection of authentic printing equipment donated by Imperial Printers, a long-standing Imperial County business. Michael James Rocha, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Feb. 2026 Lee contends that investors are not fully valuing the resiliency of Ares Capital's software-lending business. CNBC, 15 Feb. 2026 American attitudes toward taking time off are different from the ones in much of Europe, where free time and rest are prioritized, said Kira Schrabram, an assistant professor of management at the University of Washington’s business school who studies meaningful and sustainable work. Colleen Newvine, Fortune, 15 Feb. 2026 Established as the largest international business event for the Spanish and Portuguese-language film and TV industry, Iberseries & Platino Industria has become a strategic meeting point for producers, distributors, buyers and platforms from Ibero-America and Europe. Ed Meza, Variety, 15 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for business
Recent Examples of Synonyms for business
Noun
  • Prior to this, in 2022, his mother – the late Queen Elizabeth II – revoked her second son's military associations and royal patronages in the wake of Giuffre's September 2021 lawsuit, which was later settled for an undisclosed sum.
    James Powel, USA Today, 12 Feb. 2026
  • Nepotism and patronage ran rampant.
    The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 7 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • Proponents of banning firms such as Blackstone from buying single-family homes, many of whom are on the Left and populist Right, argue that those investors are crowding out the market for homebuyers.
    Zach Halaschak, The Washington Examiner, 10 Feb. 2026
  • The company’s online sales and wholesale operations will transition to a different firm called Outdoor 5 LLC, allowing e-commerce to remain available.
    Auzinea Bacon, CNN Money, 10 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • Kiley has occasionally bucked GOP leadership on procedural matters and previously voted against a House rule that would have blocked consideration of tariff repeal measures.
    Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 12 Feb. 2026
  • These features cannot be made by a single star that pulses and ejects material periodically; that would simply lead to a smooth distribution of matter.
    Big Think, Big Think, 11 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • Crime 101 takes the same view of quid pro quo as the most basic form of American commerce and makes simple but brutal points about value and self-worth, where your car, its year, make and model, matters more than your resumé.
    Damon Wise, Deadline, 11 Feb. 2026
  • And urgency, not budget or headcount, is the real growth constraint in modern commerce.
    Erik Huberman, Rolling Stone, 11 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • Baseball owners, with Dick Monfort playing a prominent role as a hawk in labor negotiations, are expected to lock out the players after this season, seeking a salary cap, believing that is the only reason the Dodgers win.
    Troy Renck, Denver Post, 12 Feb. 2026
  • Safety and security also play a role, from a home free of hazards to AI phone scams that are becoming more prevalent among older generations.
    Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 12 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • Detectives noted a consistent gait and distinctive walking pattern across videos captured before and after the shooting, including footage showing the suspect circling the area for hours and later walking away from the Barus & Holley building shortly after the gunfire.
    Ashley Carnahan, FOXNews.com, 10 Feb. 2026
  • Prescott's downtown area adds the perfect southwest charm and history and was even the stomping grounds of famed cowboy Doc Holiday.
    Paige Moore, AZCentral.com, 10 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • With the right development, the cost of residing here could be more affordable than typical; that would be attractive for the thousands of lower-paying jobs in the area.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 16 Feb. 2026
  • Set against a backdrop of oppressive heat and drought, the narrative follows Isabel, a 17-year-old from the rural north who takes a job at an upscale country club outside Manila.
    Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 15 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • Perfidy — from the French perfidie via the Latin perfidia — means deceitfulness, treachery or a breach of faith or promise.
    Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 21 Jan. 2026
  • But despite all this, not every Chelsea fan outside his family will regard this transfer as treachery.
    Simon Johnson, New York Times, 17 Jan. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Business.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/business. Accessed 17 Feb. 2026.

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