business

adj : of or relating to or characteristic of trade or traders;

"the mercantile North was forging ahead"- Van Wyck

Brooks [syn: {mercantile}, {business(a)}]

n 1: a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who

constitute it; "he bought his brother's business"; "a

small mom-and-pop business"; "a racially integrated

business concern" [syn: {concern}, {business concern}, {business

organization}]

2: the activity of providing goods and services involving

financial and commercial and industrial aspects;

"computers are now widely used in business" [syn: {commercial

enterprise}, {business enterprise}]

3: business concerns collectively; "Government and business

could not agree" [syn: {business sector}]

4: the volume of business activity: "business is good today";

"show me where the business was today"

5: a rightful concern or responsibility; used in such phrases

as "it's none of your business" or "mind your own

business"

6: the principal activity in your life; "he's not in my line of

business" [syn: {occupation}, {line of work}, {line}]

7: an immediate objective; "gossip was the main business of the

evening"

8: incidental activity performed by an actor for dramatic

effect; "his business with the cane was hilarious" [syn: {stage

business}, {byplay}]

9: customers collectively; "they have an upper class clientele"

[syn: {clientele}, {patronage}]