Noun

(countable) A specific commercial enterprise or establishment.

* {{quote-magazine, date=2013-06-22, volume=407, issue=8841, page=68, magazine=(The Economist)

, title= T time , passage=The ability to shift profits to low-tax countries by locating intellectual property in them, which is then licensed to related businesses in high-tax countries, is often assumed to be the preserve of high-tech companies.}}

(countable) A person's occupation, work, or trade.

(uncountable) Commercial, industrial, or professional activity.

(uncountable) The volume or amount of commercial trade.

* {{quote-magazine, title=No hiding place

, date=2013-05-25, volume=407, issue=8837, page=74, magazine=(The Economist) citation , passage=In America alone, people spent $170 billion on “direct marketing”—junk mail of both the physical and electronic varieties—last year. Yet of those who received unsolicited adverts through the post, only 3% bought anything as a result. If the bumf arrived electronically, the take-up rate was 0.1%. And for online adverts the “conversion” into sales was a minuscule 0.01%. That means about $165 billion was spent not on drumming up business , but on annoying people, creating landfill and cluttering spam filters.}}

(uncountable) One's dealings; patronage.

(uncountable) Private commercial interests taken collectively.

* {{quote-magazine, date=2013-08-10, volume=408, issue=8848, magazine=(The Economist), author=Schumpeter

, title= Cronies and capitols , passage=Policing the relationship between government and business in a free society is difficult. Businesspeople have every right to lobby governments, and civil servants to take jobs in the private sector.}}

(uncountable) The management of commercial enterprises, or the study of such management.

(countable) A particular situation or activity.

(countable) An objective or a matter needing to be dealt with.

*

(uncountable) Something involving one personally.

(uncountable, parliamentary procedure) Matters that come before a body for deliberation or action.

(travel, uncountable) Business class, the class of seating provided by airlines between first class and coach.

* {{quote-book, 1992, James Wallace and Jim Erickson, Hard Drive: Bill Gates and the Making of the Microsoft Empire, page=154 citation

, passage=Gates, who always flew business or coach, didn't particularly like the high air fares Nishi was charging to Microsoft,

(acting) Action carried out with a prop or piece of clothing, usually away from the focus of the scene.

* {{quote-book, 1983, Peter Thomson, Shakespeare's Theatre, page=155 citation

, passage= The business with the hat is a fine example of the difficulty of distinguishing between 'natural' and 'formal' acting.}}

(countable, rare) The collective noun for a group of ferrets.

* {{quote-book, 2004, , The Jaguar Knights: A Chronicle of the King's Blades, page=252 citation

, passage=I'm sure his goons will go through the ship like a business of ferrets, and they'll want to look in our baggage. }}

(uncountable, slang, British) Something very good; top quality. (possibly from "the bee's knees")

(slang, uncountable) Excrement, particularly that of a non-human animal.

Noun

(en noun)

A sending or mission (to do or accomplish something).

It was James Bond's commission to defeat the bad guys.

An official charge or authority to do something, often used of military officers.

David received his commission after graduating from West Point.

* Shakespeare

Let him see our commission .

The thing to be done as agent for another.

I have three commissions for the city.

A body or group of people, officially tasked with carrying out a particular function.

the European Commission; the Electoral Commission; the Federal Communications Commission

The company's sexual harassment commission made sure that every employee completed the on-line course.

* Prescott

A commission was at once appointed to examine into the matter.

A fee charged by an agent or broker for carrying out a transaction.

a reseller's commission

The real-estate broker charged a four percent commission for their knowledge on bidding for commercial properties; for their intellectual perspective on making a formal offer and the strategy to obtain a mutually satisfying deal with the seller in favour of the buyer .

The act of committing (e.g. a crime).

the commission , preparation or instigation of an act of terrorism

* South

Every commission of sin introduces into the soul a certain degree of hardness.