business

The word “business” means the activity of making, buying, or selling goods or services to earn money. In plain terms, buying and selling to make money, or a company that does that — also used loosely for "your affair, your concern.".

“Business” is pronounced BIHZ-nihs (/ˈbɪz.nɪs/ in IPA).

Here is “business” used in a sentence: “She started her own business selling handmade candles.”

“Business” is a noun.

The word “business” comes from Old English. From Old English bisignes, "state of being busy," built from busy plus -ness. Originally it just meant busyness before narrowing to mean commercial activity.

“Business” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.

“Business” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: the activity of making, buying, or selling goods or services to earn money.

'Business' is the broader term — it covers any commercial activity or the organization that carries it out, from a market stall to a global brand. A 'company' is a specific, legally registered organization. Every company is a business, but a business can also be a sole trader or partnership that is not a formal company.

By legal structure, common types include the sole trader, partnership, limited company, and corporation. By activity, businesses are often grouped as manufacturing, retail, wholesale, and service. They also range in size from small local firms to large multinationals. The right structure depends on ownership, tax, and how much personal liability the owners accept.

'Business' is the activity of making, buying, or selling to earn money, and can name a single firm. 'Commerce' is broader and more abstract, describing the whole system of trade — the buying and selling of goods and services across a market or economy. Business happens within the wider world of commerce.