business-to-business

noun

busi·​ness-to-busi·​ness ˈbiz-nəs-tə-ˈbiz-nəs 

: a sector of business activity that focuses on commerce performed between businesses rather than between a business and a consumer

a company that specializes in business-to-business

Business-to-business, the sale of goods and services to other companies rather than to the public, has flourished for centuries.

—Joanne Legomsky

—usually used before another noun

Business-to-business sales rose 4.4% from a year earlier, but retail sales increased less than 1%.

—The Wall Street Journal

business-to-business companies

the business-to-business market

—abbreviation B2B

Examples of business-to-business in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

That’s more of a business-to-business pathway. —Jordan Blum, Fortune, 27 Nov. 2025

As of now, 90 percent of business-to-business transactions among small retailers in the Latin America and Caribbean region are handled in checks, bank transfers and cash, according to Mastercard, which increases the chance of unlawful gain by another party. —Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 24 Nov. 2025

Over the past decade, podcasting has emerged as an essential forum for business-to-business and fan communications. —William Earl, Variety, 14 Oct. 2025

The business model, called B2B2C (business-to-business-to-consumer), is changing the way retailers handle orders placed by consumers on a company's website. —Lori Ann Larocco, CNBC, 19 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1979, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for business-to-business

• agribusiness
• business
• nonbusiness