business

business
/'bIznis/ noun WORK DONE BY COMPANIES
1 (U) the activity of buying or selling goods or services that is done by companies: Students on the course learn about all aspects of business. | in business: Most of my family are in business. | do business with: We do a lot of business with Italian companies. | the business community (=important people who work in business): The policy is backed by the international business community.
2 be in business/go into business to be operating as a company or to begin operating as a company: Pam's going into business with her sister.
3 go out of business to stop operating as a company: Higher interest rates will drive smaller firms out of business.
4 AMOUNT OF COMPANY WORK (U) the amount of work a company is doing or its value: We're now doing twice as much business as we did last year. | business is good/bad/slow etc: Business is slow during the summer. | drum up business (=increase it): Sidney's doing the rounds of the customers, trying to drum up business.
5 NOT PLEASURE (U) work that you do as part of your job: on business: Chris is in London this week, on business. | business trip/lunch/meeting etc: I try to avoid too many business lunches.
6 business is business used to say that profit is the most important thing to consider: Harry may be a friend but business is business, and he's not the best man for the job.
COMPANY
7 (C) an organization such as a shop or factory which produces or sells goods or services: Paul's decided to start his own business. | run a business: Mrs Taylor runs an office equipment business.
8 the advertising/printing/shipping etc business work or a job involved with advertising, printing etc: Steve works in the movie business.
SUBJECT
9 SUBJECT/EVENT (singular) a subject, event, or activity that you have a particular opinion of: Politics is a serious business. | Tanya found the whole business ridiculous.
10 STH UNCLEAR (U) used when you talk about something in general and do not give any details: He handles the mail and all that business.
STH THAT CONCERNS YOU
11 none of your business spoken not something that you have a right to know about: I know it's none of my business, but what did you decide? | It's none of your business how much I weigh.
12 mind your own business
a) spoken used to tell someone that something is private and you do not want them to ask about it or know about it: "Where did you go last night?" "Mind your own business!"
b) to do your normal activities, without showing any interest in what other people are doing: I was driving along, minding my own business, when the police pulled me over.
13 not your business not something that you are responsible for or that affects you
14 your/sb's business something that affects you but not other people, so other people have no right to know about it: "Are you going out with Kate tonight?" "That's my business".
15 make it your business to do sth to make a special effort to do something: Ruth made it her business to get to know the customers.
WORK TO BE DONE
16 (U) work that must be done in a particular job or period of time: We discussed this week's business.
(+ of): the routine business of government
17 get down to business to start dealing with an important subject: We'd better stop chatting and get down to business.
18 business as usual used to tell you that a shop or business is working normally when you might think it was closed
19 any other business subjects to be discussed in a meeting after the main subjects have been dealt with
OTHER MEANINGS
20 be in business informal to have all that you need to start doing something: Gillian brought the food, Jack the wine and I had some rugs to sit on, so we were in business.
21 mean business informal to be determined to do something even if it involves harming someone or making them upset: I could tell from the look on his face that he meant business.
22 go about your business to do the things that you normally do: ordinary people going about their business
23 have no business doing sth/have no business to do sth to behave wrongly in doing something: He was very drunk and had no business driving.
24 like nobody's business spoken very well, very much, or very fast: Wanda can play the piano like nobody's business.
25 not in the business of doing sth not planning to do something, because it is thought to be wrong: This government is not in the business of increasing public spending.
26 (it's) the business BrE slang used to say that something is very good or works well: Have you seen David's new car? It's the business.
-see also: big business, funny business funny (3) monkey business monkey 1 (3), show business

Longman dictionary of contemporary English. 2004.

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