as in professional
having or showing qualities that are considered good in business
His businesslike approach to the dispute was very helpful. a businesslike manner
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
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 businesslike
And how would the famously gruff and businesslike Belichick work with nineteen-year-olds?
—
Ian Crouch, New Yorker, 21 Aug. 2025
Their suits and intense businesslike energy sliced through the air.
—Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 9 July 2025
The five two-tone color options—the boring, businesslike black and gray, plus purple-and-gray lavender, pink-and-baby-blue bubblegum, and the green sage options—are the most fun thing about it, and the lavender and bubblegum colors are particularly eye-catching.
—ArsTechnica, 18 June 2025
There was a businesslike aura about a team known for their bravado — no shouting, no taunting or joking.
—Kelly Iko, New York Times, 3 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for businesslike
Ian Crouch, New Yorker, 21 Aug. 2025
Their suits and intense businesslike energy sliced through the air.
—Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 9 July 2025
The five two-tone color options—the boring, businesslike black and gray, plus purple-and-gray lavender, pink-and-baby-blue bubblegum, and the green sage options—are the most fun thing about it, and the lavender and bubblegum colors are particularly eye-catching.
—ArsTechnica, 18 June 2025
There was a businesslike aura about a team known for their bravado — no shouting, no taunting or joking.
—Kelly Iko, New York Times, 3 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for businesslike
Recent Examples of Synonyms for businesslike
Adjective
-
Dykstra served time in a California federal prison for bankruptcy fraud and was sentenced to more than six months for hiding baseball gloves and other items from his professional playing days.—
Matt Moret,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
-
That size mirrors the size of professional esports competition monitors.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
7 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Cameron Diaz’s clever accessory is a closet staple — check out even more practical belt bags to shop at Amazon below.—
Clara McMahon,
PEOPLE,
9 Jan. 2026
-
The brand makes outerwear that’s luxuriously stylish, but practical, too.—
Jasmine Gomez,
Travel + Leisure,
9 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
This said, the movers were very polite and respectful and removed all of the excess packing.—
Nashia Baker,
Architectural Digest,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Among her trio of old friends on a once-in-a-lifetime vacation, Kate is the polite peacekeeper.—
Christian Zilko,
IndieWire,
7 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The lawsuit names specific brands — including cereals, pizzas, sodas, and potato chips — linking them to serious health problems.—
Alan Greenblatt,
CBS News,
12 Jan. 2026
-
Kittle was carted off the field, indicating a serious injury, after he was tackled by safety Marcus Epps at the right sideline.—
Chris Biderman,
Sacbee.com,
12 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Businesslike.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/businesslike. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share