business

1 transactions or economic support provided by customers <only places that are equal opportunity employers will get my business> Synonyms custom, patronage Related Words marketplace, trade, traffic; free trade; affairs, dealings, horse-trading; merchandising, retailing, wholesaling

2 a commercial or industrial activity or organization <most of the local businesses belong to the association> Synonyms enterprise, company, concern, establishment, firm, house, interest, outfitRelated Words conglomerate, corporation, multinational; association, cartel, chain, combine, syndicate, trust; agency, dealer, outlet; microenterprise

3 something to be dealt with <we have one piece of business remaining for today's meeting> Synonyms affair, matter, thingRelated Words consideration, issue, problem; crisis, crossroad(s), crunch, emergency, exigency, flash point, head, juncture, strait, zero hour; concern, trouble, worry; care, lookout, responsibility; deadlock, halt, impasse, stalemate, standstill; corner, fix, hole, hot water, jam, pickle, pinch, predicament, scrape, spot

4 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 commerce, marketplace, trade, trafficRelated Words free trade; black market, gray market; dealings, horse-trading; e-tail, merchandising, retailing, wholesaling; bartering

5 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 role, capacity, function, job, part, place, position, purpose, task, workRelated Words affair, concern, hand, involvement, participation; niche, office, post, situation; calling, occupation, pursuit, vocation; activity, assignment, charge, commission, duty, employ, mission, responsibility, service, use

6 a region of activity, knowledge, or influence <if you want a medical malpractice lawyer, he's the best in the business> Synonyms area, arena, bailiwick, barony, field, circle, demesne, department, discipline, domain, element, fief, fiefdom, firmament, front, game, kingdom, line, precinct, province, realm, specialty, sphere, terrain, walkRelated Words frontier; study, subject; territory, turf; occupation, profession, pursuit, racket, vocation; ambit, amplitude, breadth, compass, confine, dimension(s), extent, ken, reach, scope, sweep, width; subfield, subspecialty

7 a specific task with which a person or group is charged <the interrogators demanded to know what business the suspect had in the restricted area at that time of night> Synonyms assignment, brief, mission, charge, detail, job, operation, postRelated Words burden, chore, duty, need, obligation, office, requirement, responsibility; errand, labor, work; commitment, pledge, promise; appointment, commission, designation, nomination; compulsion, constraint, restraint

8 the act or fact of violating the trust or confidence of another <the price for giving the drug lord the business was certain death> Synonyms backstabbing, betrayal, disloyalty, double cross, faithlessness, falseness, falsity, infidelity, perfidy, sellout, treachery, treason, two-timing, unfaithfulnessRelated Words abandonment, desertion; deceit, deception, double-dealing, duplicity, guile, two-facedness; fraud, informing, lying, snitching, talebearing, trickeryNear Antonyms dependability, reliability, trustworthiness; defense, protection, safeguard, shieldAntonyms allegiance, devotion, faithfulness, fealty, fidelity, loyalty, staunchness, steadfastness