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