Tra từ business - Từ điển Oxford Advanced Learner 8th

busi·ness [business businesses] BrE [ˈbɪznəs] NAmE [ˈbɪznəs] noun

TRADE
1. uncountable the activity of making, buying, selling or supplying goods or services for money
Syn: ↑commerce, Syn: ↑trade
•business contacts/affairs/interests
•a business investment
• It's been a pleasure to do business with you.
• She has set up in business as a hairdresser.
•When he left school, he went into business with his brother.
•She works in the computer business.
•They were both in the same line of business.
see also ↑agribusiness, ↑big business, ↑show business

WORK
2. uncountable work that is part of your job
• Is the trip to Rome business or pleasure?
•a business lunch
• He's away on business.
3. uncountable the amount of work done by a company, etc; the rate or quality of this work
• Business was bad.
• Business was booming.
•Her job was to drum up (= increase) business.
•How's business?
•If we close down for repairs, we'll lose business.

COMPANY
4. countable a commercial organization such as a company, shop/store or factory
•to have/start/run a business
•business premises
• She works in the family business.
• They've got a small catering business.
•He wanted to expand the export side of the business.

RESPONSIBILITY
5. uncountable something that concerns a particular person or organization
• It is the business of the police to protect the community.
• I shall make it my business to find out who is responsible.
•My private life is none of your business (= does not concern you).
•It's no business of yours who I invite to the party.

IMPORTANT MATTERS
6. uncountable important matters that need to be dealt with or discussed
•the main business of the meeting
• He has some unfinished business to deal with.

EVENT
7. singular (usually with an adjective)a matter, an event or a situation
• That plane crash was a terrible business.
•I found the whole business very depressing.
•The business of the missing tickets hasn't been sorted out.

BEING A CUSTOMER
8. (especially NAmE) (also BrE formal cus·tom)uncountable the fact of a person or people buying goods or services at a shop/store or business
•We're grateful for your business.
more at mean business at ↑mean _v., mind your own business at ↑mind _v., ply for hire/trade/business at ↑ply _v.
Idioms: ↑any other business ▪ ↑business as usual ▪ ↑business is business ▪ ↑get down to business ▪ ↑go about your business ▪ ↑have no business doing something ▪ ↑have no business to do something ▪ ↑in business ▪ ↑like nobody's business ▪ ↑not be in the business of doing something ▪ ↑out of business ▪ ↑the business
See also: ↑custom

Word Origin:
Old English bisignis ‘anxiety’ (see ↑busy, ↑-ness); the sense ‘state of being busy’ was used from Middle English down to the 18th cent., but is now differentiated as busyness. The use ‘appointed task’ dates from late Middle English, and from it all the other current senses have developed.

Culture:
the City
The business and financial centre of London is called the City or the City of London. It covers an area in east central London north of the River Thames, between Blackfriars Bridge and ↑Tower Bridge. It is only about one square mile/2.5 square kilometres in size and is often referred to as the Square Mile.
Many financial institutions have their head offices in the City, including the ↑Bank of England in Threadneedle Street, the ↑London Stock Exchange in Old Broad Street and ↑Lloyd's of London in Lime Street. Many banks, insurance companies and stockbrokers (= companies that buy and sell shares for others) have been in the City many years. When journalists talk about ‘the City’ they are usually not referring to the place but to the people involved in business and commerce, as in: The City had been expecting poor results from the company. (
Compare ↑Wall Street
)
In the City old and new buildings stand next to each other. The most famous older buildings include ↑St Paul's Cathedral, the ↑Guildhall and the ↑Mansion House, where the ↑Lord Mayor of London lives. Tower 42, which is 600 feet/183 metres high, and the ↑Swiss Re Tower, nicknamed ‘the Gherkin’, are two of the City’s more recent landmarks. The ↑Barbican Centre includes an art gallery, a theatre and a concert hall, as well as flats/apartments.
Few people live in the City and at night the population is about 7 000. During the day it rises to about half a million, as business people commute to the City by car, bus and train. In the past the traditional image of the City gent was of a businessman in a dark suit and bowler hat, carrying a briefcase and a newspaper or an umbrella. The expression She’s something in the City means ‘She has an important job with a bank or firm of stockbrokers ’, and suggests wealth and high social status.

Thesaurus:
business noun
1. U
•It's a pleasure to do business with you.
trade • • trading • • commerce • • enterprise • • dealing • • operation • • market • • marketplace •
business/trade/trading/commerce/enterprise/dealing between people/countries
business/trade/trading/commerce/dealing with sb/a country
encourage/promote business/trade/commerce/enterprise
business/trade/the market grows/is booming/picks up/declines
Business or trade? Trade is used slightly more to talk about buying and selling goods rather than services. Business is used when sb is trying to emphasize the more personal aspects, such as discussing things and working together to provide goods or services.
2. C
•He works in the oil business.
industry • • trade • • service •
the book/tourist/car/catering/hotel/construction business/industry/trade
the energy/oil/food/computer/advertising/insurance/music business/industry
work in/be in a particular business/industry/trade/service
3. U
•She's away on business.
work • • job • • assignment • • duty • • duties • • mission • • task •
Opp: pleasure
(a) routine business/work/job/assignment/duties/mission/task
do business/your work/a job/an assignment/a task
be on business/a job/a mission
4. C
•start your own business
company • • firm • • operation • • corporation • • partnership • • practice • • cooperative • • syndicate • • house • |informal outfit • |business group • • conglomerate • • consortium • |business, journalism enterprise •
a multinational business/company/firm/operation/corporation/group/conglomerate/consortium/enterprise
a family business/company/firm/operation/partnership/practice/… house/enterprise
set up a/an business/company/firm/operation/corporation/partnership/practice/cooperative/syndicate/…house/outfit/consortium/enterprise
run a/an business/company/firm/operation/corporation/cooperative/syndicate/…house/group/conglomerate/consortium/enterprise
5.
•It's my business who I invite to the party.
affair • • preserve • |formal concern •
a private/personal business/affair/concern
sth is sb's own business/affair/concern
be none of sb's business/affair/concern
Business or concern? You can only use business, not concern, in the phrases make it your business to do sth and sth is the business of sth:
•I shall make it my business to find out who is responsible.
✗ I shall make it my concern to find out who is responsible.:
•It is the business of the police to protect the community.
✗ It is the concern of the police to protect the community.

Collocations:
Business
Running a business
buy/acquire/own/sell a company/firm/franchise
set up/establish/ start/start up/launch a business/company
run/operate a business/company/franchise
head/run a firm/department/team
make/secure/win/block a deal
expand/grow/build the business
boost/increase investment/spending/sales/turnover/earnings/exports/trade
increase/expand production/output/sales
boost/maximize production/productivity/efficiency/income/revenue/profit/profitability
achieve/maintain/sustain growth/profitability
cut/reduce/bring down/lower/slash costs/prices
announce/impose/make cuts/cutbacks
Sales and marketing
break into/enter/capture/dominate the market
gain/grab/take/win/boost/lose market share
find/build/create a market for sth
start/launch an advertising/a marketing campaign
develop/launch/promote a product/website
create/generate demand for your product
attract/get/retain/help customers/clients
drive/generate/boost/increase demand/sales
beat/keep ahead of/out-think/outperform the competition
meet/reach/exceed/miss sales targets
Finance
draw up/set/present/agree/approve a budget
keep to/balance/cut/reduce/slash the budget
be/come in below/under/over/within budget
generate income/revenue/profit/funds/business
fund/finance a campaign/a venture/an expansion/spending/a deficit
provide/raise/allocate capital/funds
attract/encourage investment/investors
recover/recoup costs/losses/an investment
get/obtain/offer sb/grant sb credit/a loan
apply for/raise/secure/arrange/provide finance
Failure
lose business/trade/customers/sales/revenue
accumulate/accrue/incur/run up debts
suffer/sustain enormous/heavy/serious losses
face cuts/a deficit/redundancy/bankruptcy
file for/ (NAmE) enter/avoid/escape bankruptcy
(BrE) go into administration/liquidation
liquidate/wind up a company
survive/weather a recession/downturn
propose/seek/block/oppose a merger
launch/make/accept/defeat a takeover bid

Example Bank:
•After a slack period business is now picking up.
•After leaving school she entered the family business.
•After six months the business really took off.
•Business has slowed considerably in recent months.
•Business is booming for estate agents in the south as the property market hots up.
•Business is booming for the big pharmaceutical companies.
•Business was brisk and they had sold out by midday.
•Changing your life can be a risky business.
•Cheap imports are hurting business for domestic producers.
•Having fun is a serious business.
•He argues that tax cuts will help business.
•He left the department to start his own business.
•He needs time and space to get on with the real business of writing.
•He owns a management consulting business based in Santa Barbara.
•He says he's going to make changes, and I think he means business.
•He spent his whole life in the insurance business.
•He wore a business suit.
•He works in the family business.
•He's someone I can do business with.
•I shall make it my business to find out who is responsible.
•I think we've finished item four. Now, is there any other business?
•I was just sitting there, minding my own business, when a man started shouting at me.
•I'll be glad when the whole business is over and done with.
•I'm going to Paris on business.
•I'm just glad to be out of the whole dirty business.
•I'm not going to talk business tonight.
•Is the trip to Rome business or pleasure?
•It was a bad business— he couldn't work for months.
•It was always my dream to run my own business.
•It was purely a business decision.
•It's business as usual at the factory, even while investigators sift through the bomb wreckage.
•It's good business practice to listen to your customers.
•It's time to focus on the company's core business.
•Jack and I finished our business early, so we went to lunch.
•Keep your nose out of my business!
•Meals are considered a business expense.
•My private life is none of your business.
•Nobody understands the music business better than him.
•OK, let's get down to business.
•Our repeat business is 50% or higher.
•Retail is a tough business.
•She had her own hairdressing business.
•She runs a successful online business.
•She's in Europe drumming up business for her new company.
•Supermarkets are doing more online business.
•The business is expanding fast.
•The company went out of business during the recession.
•The company's offices are located in the new business park out of town.
•The family owns a booming construction business.
•The new regulations will put many small companies out of business.
•These laws make life more difficult for legitimate businesses.
•They decided to start their own business.
•They developed a lasting business relationship.
•They're doing good business in Asia.
•They've cut their rates to attract new business.
•This isn't a social call— I've come on official business.
•Traditional businesses are having to compete with the Internet.
•We are looking to grow the business over the next couple of years.
•We built up the business from nothing.
•We have some unfinished business to discuss.
•We took on temporary staff to handle the extra business.
•We're losing business to our main rivals.
•We're not trying to educate— we're in the entertainment business.
•What business are you in?
•When I travel abroad I like to mix business with pleasure.
•You can call the helpline during normal business hours.
•You have no business= no right being here.
•a business model for using electronic commerce
•a company that has ceased to carry on business
•a conference of women business leaders
•insurance salesmen touting for business
•loans for people to start new businesses
•market traders going about their daily business
•protecting business secrets
•the city's main business district
•to protect business secrets
•Almost all businesses will be closed on Christmas Day.
•Falling prices are wreaking havoc in the oil business.
•Going to trade fairs is a good way of developing business contacts.
•Her job was to drum up business.
•How's business?
•I've decided to start my own business.
•If we close down for repairs, we'll lose business.
•It was not his habit to discuss his business affairs with strangers.
•It's been a pleasure to do business with you.
•It's no business of yours who I invite to the party.
•She has business interests all over the world.
•She's away on business.
•Stores are doing brisk business in wizard accessories and vampire kits.
•The average business trip lasts 2.5 days.
•The business of the missing tickets hasn't been sorted out.
•The restaurant is every executive's favourite place for a business lunch.
•There are strong links between politics and big business.
•They've got a small catering business.
•This legislation will hurt small businesses.
•We're looking for new business premises.
•When he left school he went into business with his brother.
•a business trip/lunch
•the catering/hotel/entertainment/advertising/insurance business.
•the energy/oil/food business.