business

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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 purpose
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 One cast member dissing another’s new business venture. John Kell, Forbes.com, 25 June 2025 Trump’s erratic trade policies continue to handcuff the ability of executives to predict where their businesses are headed. Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 25 June 2025 Boulos, who was speaking at the US-Africa Business Summit in Luanda, Angola, championed the prospect of lasting peace creating an environment where US businesses would be more willing to invest. Yinka Adegoke, semafor.com, 25 June 2025 Consumers were less positive about current business conditions than May. Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for business
Recent Examples of Synonyms for business
Noun
  • For years, Daley’s powerful Democratic Party machine ruled Chicago through patronage.
    Jake Sheridan, Chicago Tribune, 10 June 2025
  • Instead, Palestinian leaders have concentrated power, using patronage and violence to preserve their rule.
    Sean Durns, The Washington Examiner, 6 June 2025
Noun
  • Deals with streaming services could be a natural progression for linear channels being split off from legacy media firms' streaming businesses and whose programming faces an uncertain future.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 18 June 2025
  • Its portfolio includes luxury luggage firm Globe-Trotter and Italian design firm Alessi.
    Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 18 June 2025
Noun
  • Legal Advice Clinic for Veterans: The Seminole County Legal Aid office hosts a free monthly legal advice clinic for veterans to get legal assistance with family law and housing law matters.
    Joe Rassel, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 June 2025
  • That's the gap between products that work and those that matter.
    Mara Dimofte, Forbes.com, 25 June 2025
Noun
  • In confronting the Mexican government for its failure to prevent the femicides, the band also challenges a culture in which commerce is valued more than the lives of the workers who keep it running.
    Fidel Martinez, Los Angeles Times, 20 June 2025
  • Trump’s former commerce secretary Wilbur Ross warned that after successful negotiations with China and the U.K., the Trump administration may become overconfident in negotiations with the EU, pushing away European allies.
    Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 18 June 2025
Noun
  • That facility, whose purpose remains unclear, appears to be intact.
    Geoff Brumfiel, NPR, 26 June 2025
  • The purpose of the grants is to address the climate crisis and various environmental harms at the local level.
    Tracy J. Wholf June 26, CBS News, 26 June 2025
Noun
  • Kaiser has seen one case of measles this past month, which was in the Santa Clarita area, Hudson said.
    Rong-Gong Lin II, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2025
  • Two Kansas City suburbs are home to some of the safest drivers in the country, a new report says, while other parts of the area has become substantially more risky to drive in over the last 10 years.
    Joseph Hernandez, Kansas City Star, 26 June 2025
Noun
  • In the first episode of the series, it is revealed that 10 years ago, Gi-hun was laid off from an assembly job at Dragon Motor, a car manufacturing plant.
    Christopher Rudolph, People.com, 29 June 2025
  • Epperson graduated from Berea High School and Ohio University and had jobs at WEWS and WUAB-TV around a 1966-69 tour with the U.S. Army.
    Mike Barnes, HollywoodReporter, 29 June 2025
Noun
  • The six-parter, to debut July 14, follows six groups of friends, and six historical cases of murder and treachery among them.
    Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 19 June 2025
  • But amid the bloodbaths and treacheries, Westeros still penciled in time for a little romance — some more compelling than others (Jon and Ygritte > Jon and Daenerys).
    Tyler Aquilina, EW.com, 17 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Business.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/business. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.

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