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

5
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 Other designers are bringing expressive style to smaller business jets. Michael Verdon, Robb Report, 24 Aug. 2025 Multinationals like Engie have long viewed the U.S. as one of the most stable business environments in the world, Carroll said. Spencer Kimball, CNBC, 24 Aug. 2025 If an employee violates a business rule, that is a civil matter, and the police department will not get involved. Wren Smetana, AZCentral.com, 24 Aug. 2025 Sophia was previously a business reporter covering finance, energy and tourism and has experience as a TV news producer. Sophia Compton, FOXNews.com, 24 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for business
Recent Examples of Synonyms for business
Noun
  • In 2022, he was stripped of his royal patronages and military titles.
    Stephanie Nolasco , Ashley Papa, FOXNews.com, 25 Aug. 2025
  • Across diverse regions—from Iraq and Saudi Arabia to Spain and South Asia—shared visual and spatial principles emerged under the influence of Islamic patronage, even as local materials and techniques gave rise to unique regional variations.
    Mike Miller, Architectural Digest, 11 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Targeted Victory, a digital consulting firm that commonly helps Republican clients with campaign needs, accused Google of discriminating against Republican emails in August.
    Angele Latham, The Tennessean, 30 Aug. 2025
  • Development firms Emem Group LLC and General Capital Group LLP were in charge of the project and the 42-unit apartment complex above the library known as the MLK Library Apartments.
    Everett Eaton, jsonline.com, 30 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Whether Adidas has deliberately gone for the 1980s tennis player vibe, or whether that was a happy accident, hardly matters.
    Nick Miller, New York Times, 24 Aug. 2025
  • That's because matter, via its gravitational influence, slows down cosmic expansion, while dark energy speeds it up.
    Robert Lea, Space.com, 24 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Consider social commerce: platforms like TikTok Shop have erased the line between content and commerce.
    Jill Standish, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025
  • In testimony last month before a Senate commerce subcommittee, the ATA acknowledged a driver shortage in the trucking industry.
    Rebekah Riess, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Each separate agency has a unique purpose, but they are all inextricably connected.
    River Selby August 25, Literary Hub, 25 Aug. 2025
  • But is that on purpose, because their conversations are kind of meh?
    Scottie Andrew, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Bernie’s approach to addressing literacy gaps lies in a simple, but data-backed, logic, Executive Director for the new Milwaukee area branch Jenna Renno said, giving the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel an inside look at its Chicago area headquarters on July 10.
    Claudia Levens, jsonline.com, 26 Aug. 2025
  • Malik then drove to a dark area on the opposite side of the hotel.
    Tresa Baldas, Freep.com, 26 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Gutekunst, whose job may be on the line this season under new team president Ed Policy, took out his driver and swung away.
    Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 29 Aug. 2025
  • Jeanine Pirro, the former Fox News pundit who used that job to spout election disinformation for Donald Trump in 2020, has not proven to be a very effective federal prosecutor.
    Chris Brennan, USA Today, 29 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Thus far, this prosecution, and a corresponding case against the gang in Sacramento, have been rife with evidence of treachery and violence inside and outside of prison.
    Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 31 July 2025
  • 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

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Cite this Entry

“Business.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/business. Accessed 3 Sep. 2025.

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