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

Only Nigeria’s crypto market is larger than South Africa’s in sub-Saharan Africa, according to data firm Chainalysis, with growth in business-to-business transactions emerging as a crucial driver for adoption. —Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 6 May 2026

Studies in business-to-business sales, for example, find that walking away early from low-potential opportunities can improve motivation and performance. —Kumar Rakesh Ranjan, The Conversation, 27 Apr. 2026

In 1878, AmEx launched business-to-business shipping specialties. —Nancy Cutler, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026

Readers may be surprised to find that many of the stocks chosen for Ankrum’s coffee can are those of business-to-business companies. —Brian Steinberg, Variety, 1 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1979, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for business-to-business

• agribusiness
• business
• nonbusiness