big business

Major commercial enterprises

Big business refers to large corporations and commercial enterprises collectively, especially when considered as a powerful economic or political force.

The term often carries skeptical or critical connotations, suggesting entities more concerned with profit than people: Big business has too much influence in Washington.

It can also simply describe the scale of commercial activity: Weddings have become big business.

Related

hostile takeover · finance · mergers · enterprise · monopolies · industry · market dominance · too big to fail · special interests · robber barons · big money · deep pockets · multinational corporations · fat cats · firm · acquisitions · big labor · smoke-filled room

Categories
Opposites
scale and size of enterprise

big businesssmall business

Modest independent commercial venture

mom-and-pop store · small enterprise · cottage industry · sole proprietorship · family business

economic power and influence

big businessMain Street

Town's central thoroughfare

local economy · labor · working class · consumers · the common people

ownership and structure

big businessworker cooperative

Firm owned by its labor force

cooperative · social enterprise · nonprofit organization · public sector · collective

Family

business, bigger, biggest, bigness, businesses, biggish, bigs, biggie

Familiarity
Top 100,000
Profile
Known to kids · Used worldwide · Timeless · Everyday, not technical · Rated G