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

As one of Asia-Pacific’s leading business-to-business beauty events, the November gathering will once again bring together the brands, manufacturers, suppliers, buyers and creative voices shaping the future of the industry. — Advertorial, Footwear News, 29 Sep. 2026

For example, our findings don’t offer guidance on business-to-business sales, which are more complex. — Daniel E. Chavez, The Conversation, 22 Sep. 2026

Arhaus is also in the early stages of a business-to-business strategy, which could drive even more value to its stock, according to Jefferies. — Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 21 Sep. 2026

The primary commercial use case for RfP emerging right now is corporate treasury and business-to-business (B2B) payments. — Ivaylo Bozoukov, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1979, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for business-to-business

• agribusiness
• business
• nonbusiness