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 Dylan Sherman is a business reporter for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Arkansas Online, 11 Oct. 2025 Many international airlines, too, are doing away with separate first-class seating in favor of larger business-class cabins. Zach Wichter, USA Today, 11 Oct. 2025 Steak 'n Shake recently began rolling out colossal American flags at its locations as numerous businesses embrace patriotic themes. Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 11 Oct. 2025 But lawyers representing the accused countered that the law, as written, only mentioned liability on the part of businesses and never explicitly stated that perpetrators could be sued. Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 11 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for business
Recent Examples of Synonyms for business
Noun
  • His wife, a manicurist herself, is best friends with a woman who studied under Hedren’s patronage.
    Arabelle Sicardi, Allure, 9 Oct. 2025
  • Dams and water diversions became engines of patronage, enriching insiders, killing rivers and exacting a terrible cost from rural communities.
    Nik Kowsar, Time, 2 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Arthur was originally a scholar of the Elizabethan drama—a professor at Boston University for a number of years before moving to London and working for Quaritch, one of the oldest bookseller firms in the world focusing on antiquarian books.
    JSTOR Daily, JSTOR Daily, 16 Oct. 2025
  • The Prime Minister added that Baghdad had signed deals with TotalEnergies, along with Chinese and Emirati firms, to invest in capturing gas that is now flared — worth $4 billion to $5 billion a year.
    Emma Graham, CNBC, 15 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • But on Wednesday, Roberts said, Scott's injury became an 'urgent matter,' necessitating the procedure, which has a recovery timetable of 1-2 weeks.
    Shaun McAvoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Oct. 2025
  • Working with Sam [Esmail] and working with Rami [Malek] — the relationships are what matter.
    Daniel D'Addario, Variety, 10 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Walmart isn’t the only major company moving in on agentic commerce.
    Meghan Hall, Sourcing Journal, 14 Oct. 2025
  • Global commerce has been under strain this year as companies grapple with a flurry of on-again, off-again trade policies; the new port fees will likely make shipping rates more volatile, analysts said.
    J.D. Capelouto, semafor.com, 14 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • And a lot of the pseudepigrapha, like the fake gospels and fake apocalypses, fill in gaps in the record that can serve latter-day, post-biblical purposes.
    JSTOR Daily, JSTOR Daily, 16 Oct. 2025
  • This particular challenge serves many purposes.
    Joe Boylan, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Steer clear of puddles - Driving into puddles or low areas of rainwater can cause vehicles to hydroplane or skid out of control.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 13 Oct. 2025
  • Here’s the Week 8 schedule for Fort Worth-area high school football teams.
    Darren Lauber, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • All of which begs the question, can—and should—Europe use the once-in-a-generation opportunity presented by decarbonization to reboot its own renewables supply chain, creating green jobs and sustainable wealth for the future?
    Andrew Saunders, Fortune, 15 Oct. 2025
  • After graduating from high school in 1971, Silvana Clark enrolled at a community college after receiving guidance from her drama teacher, George Meshke, who had taken a job there.
    NPR, NPR, 14 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • And when the surviving crew interrogates the android Ash about his treachery, the book has him pretty much spill the space beans.
    Daniel Dockery, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2025
  • When does compromise become treachery or defeat?
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Business.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/business. Accessed 16 Oct. 2025.

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