What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

What is the difference between business and deal?

business | deal |

In context|countable|lang=en terms the difference between business and deal

is that business is {{context|countable|lang=en}} an objective or a matter needing to be dealt with while deal is {{context|countable|lang=en}} a plank of softwood (fir or pine board).

In context|uncountable|lang=en terms the difference between business and deal

is that business is {{context|uncountable|lang=en}} something involving one personally while deal is {{context|uncountable|lang=en}} wood that is easy to saw (from conifers such as pine or fir).

As nouns the difference between business and deal

is that business is {{context|countable|lang=en}} a specific commercial enterprise or establishment while deal is {{context|obsolete|lang=en}} a division, a portion, a share or deal can be {{context|archaic|_|in general sense|lang=en}} an act of dealing or sharing or deal can be {{context|uncountable|lang=en}} wood that is easy to saw (from conifers such as pine or fir).

As adjectives the difference between business and deal

is that business is of, to, pertaining to or utilized for purposes of conducting trade, commerce, governance, advocacy or other professional purposes while deal is made of deal.

As a verb deal is

{{context|transitive|lang=en}} to distribute among a number of recipients, to give out as one’s portion or share.

business

English

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.
  • Derived terms

    * agribusiness * big business * business as usual * business analyst * business architect * business before pleasure * business card * business class * business day * business deal * business economics * business end * business English * business ethics * business failure * business girl * business intelligence * business lunch * business model * business name * business plan * business practice * business record * business risk * business trip * business trust * business unit * business venture * businesslike * businessman * businessperson * businesswoman * business-to-business * do business * e-business * family business * funny business * get down to business * give someone the business * line of business * mean business * mind one's own business * monkey business * order of business * out of business * personal business * place of business * show business * small business * take care of business * unfinished business * we appreciate your business

    Adjective

  • Of, to, pertaining to or utilized for purposes of conducting trade, commerce, governance, advocacy or other professional purposes.
  • * 1897 , Reform Club (New York, N.Y.) Sound Currency Committee, Sound currency , Volumes 4-5, page cclii,
  • They are solely business' instruments. Every man's relation to them is purely a '''business''' relation. His use of them is purely a ' business use.
  • * {{quote-book, year=1963, author=(Margery Allingham), title=(The China Governess)
  • , chapter=10 citation , passage=With a little manœuvring they contrived to meet on the doorstep which was […] in a boiling stream of passers-by, hurrying business people speeding past in a flurry of fumes and dust in the bright haze.}}
  • * 1996 , Lawyers Co-operative Publishing Company, American Law Reports: Annotations and Cases , Volume 35, page 432,
  • the fact that the injured party came to the insured premises for solely business purposes precluded any reliance on the non-business pursuits exception (§ 1 1 2[b]).
  • * 2003 , Marvin Snider, Compatibility Breeds Success: How to Manage Your Relationship with Your Business Partner , page 298,
  • Both of these partnerships have to cope with these dual issues in a more complicated way than is the case in solely business partnerships.
  • Professional, businesslike, having concern for good business practice.
  • * 1889 , The Clothier and furnisher , Volume 19, page 38,
  • He is thoroughly business , but has the happy faculty of transacting it in a genial and courteous manner.
  • * 1909 , La Salle Extension University, Business Administration: Business Practice , page 77,
  • and the transaction carried through in a thoroughly business manner.
  • * 1927 , Making of America Project, (w, Harper's Magazine) , Volume 154, page 502,
  • Sometimes this very subtle contrast becomes only too visible, as when in wartime Jewish business men were almost lynched because they were thoroughly business men and worked for profit.
  • * 2009 , (Frank Channing Haddock), Business Power: Supreme Business Laws and Maxims that Win Wealth , page 231,
  • The moral is evident: do not invest in schemes promising enormous and quick returns unless you have investigated them in a thoroughly business manner.
  • Supporting business, conducive to the conduct of business.
  • * 1867 , (Edmund Hodgson Yates) (editor), Amiens'', in ''Tinsley's Magazine , page 430,
  • Amiens is a thoroughly business town, the business being chiefly with the flax-works.
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-06-08, volume=407, issue=8839, page=55, magazine=(The Economist)
  • , title= Obama goes troll-hunting , passage=According to this saga of intellectual-property misanthropy, these creatures [patent trolls] roam the business world, buying up patents and then using them to demand extravagant payouts from companies they accuse of infringing them. Often, their victims pay up rather than face the costs of a legal battle.}}

    See also

    * *

    deal

    English

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl) (m), from (etyl) . More at dole.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (obsolete) A division, a portion, a share.
  • :
  • An indefinite quantity or amount; a lot (''now usually qualified by'' (great) ''or (good)).
  • *:
  • *:And so they alle bare hym vnto the hermytage / and vnarmed hym / and layd hym in his bedde / & euer more his wound bledde pytously / but he stered no lymme of hym / Thenne the knyghte heremyte put a thynge in his nose and a lytel dele of water in his mouthe / And thenne sir launcelot waked of his swoune / and thenne the heremyte staunched his bledynge
  • *1814 , (Jane Austen), Mansfield Park , Ch.2:
  • *:There is a vast deal of difference in memories, as well as in every thing else, and therefore you should make allowance for your cousin, and pity her deficiency.
  • *1851 , (Herman Melville), Moby-Dick , Ch.32:
  • *:There is a deal of obscurity concerning the identity of the species thus multitudinously baptized.
  • *{{quote-book, year=1928, author=Lawrence R. Bourne
  • , chapter=3, title=[http://openlibrary.org/works/OL5387037W Well Tackled!] , passage=“They know our boats will stand up to their work,” said Willison, “and that counts for a good deal . A low estimate from us doesn't mean scamped work, but just that we want to keep the yard busy over a slack time.”}}
  • *{{quote-magazine, date=2013-06-07, author=David Simpson
  • , volume=188, issue=26, page=36, magazine=(The Guardian Weekly) , title=[http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2013/may/18/falling-upwards-richard-holmes-review Fantasy of navigation] , passage=Like most human activities, ballooning has sponsored heroes and hucksters and a good deal in between. For every dedicated scientist patiently recording atmospheric pressure and wind speed while shivering at high altitudes, there is a carnival barker with a bevy of pretty girls willing to dangle from a basket or parachute down to earth.}}
  • A unit of volume equal to 12 ft × 11 in × 1.5 in, used to measure firewood.
  • Synonyms
    * (act of apportioning or distributing) allotment, apportionment, distribution, doling out]], [[share, sharing, sharing out * (large number or amount or extent) batch, flock, good deal, great deal, hatful, heap, load, lot, mass, mess, mickle, mint, muckle, peck, pile, plenty, pot, quite a little, raft, sight, slew, spate, stack, tidy sum, wad, whole lot, whole slew
    Derived terms
    * (indefinite quantity) a great deal, a good deal, big deal, real deal

    Etymology 2

    From (etyl) (m), from (etyl) .

    Verb

  • To distribute among a number of recipients, to give out as one’s portion or share.
  • The fighting is over; now we deal out the spoils of victory.
  • * Tickell
  • Rome deals out her blessings and her gold.
  • To administer or give out, as in small portions.
  • * 1820 , , The Abbot , ch. 30:
  • "Away, proud woman!" said the Lady; "who ever knew so well as thou to deal the deepest wounds under the pretence of kindness and courtesy?"
  • * {{quote-news
  • , year=2011 , date=April 15 , author=Saj Chowdhury , title=Norwich 2 - 1 Nott'm Forest , work=BBC Sport , url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/13009332.stm , page= , passage=Norwich returned to second in the Championship with victory over Nottingham Forest, whose promotion hopes were dealt another blow.}}
  • To distribute cards to the players in a game.
  • I was dealt four aces.
    The cards were shuffled and dealt by the croupier.
  • (baseball) To pitch.
  • The whole crowd waited for him to deal a real humdinger.
  • To have dealings or business.
  • * 1838 , , Oliver Twist , ch. 11:
  • Mr. Brownlow contrived to state his case; observing that, in the surprise of the moment, he had run after the boy because he saw him running away; and expressing his hope that, if the magistrate should believe him, although not actually the thief, to be connected with thieves; he would deal as leniently with him as justice would allow.
  • To conduct oneself, to behave.
  • * 1590 , Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene , III.ii:
  • In Deheubarth'' that now South-wales is hight, / What time king ''Ryence raign'd, and dealed right [...].
  • (obsolete) To take action; to act.
  • * 1485 , Sir Thomas Malory, Le Morte Darthur , Book IV:
  • Wel said syr Uwayne go on your waye, and lete me dele .
  • To trade professionally (followed by in ).
  • She deals in gold.
  • To sell, especially to sell illicit drugs.
  • This club takes a dim view of members who deal drugs.
  • To be concerned with.
  • * 1922 , , Ulysses , episode 14:
  • Science, it cannot be too often repeated, deals with tangible phenomena.
  • To handle, to manage, to cope.
  • * 1897 , , Dracula , ch 19:
  • Then there was the sound of a struggle, and I knew that the attendants were dealing with him.
    I can't deal with this.
    Synonyms
    * (distribute among a number of recipients) apportion, divvy up, share, share out, portion out * (administer in portions) administer, allot, deal out, dish out, dispense, distribute, dole out, hand out, lot, mete out, parcel out, shell out * * pitch, throw * (have dealings with) * (trade) sell, trade, bargain * sell * (be concerned with) *
    Derived terms
    * deal with * dealer * dealy

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • An act of dealing or sharing.
  • The distribution of cards to players; a player's turn for this.
  • I didn’t have a good deal all evening.
    I believe it's your deal .
  • A particular instance of buying or selling, a transaction
  • We need to finalise the deal with Henderson by midnight.
  • * 2014 , Jamie Jackson, "[http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/aug/26/angel-di-maria-completes-move-to-manchester-united Ángel di María says Manchester United were the ‘only club’ after Real]", The Guardian , 26 August 2014:
  • The deal , which overtakes the £50m paid to Liverpool by Chelsea for Fernando Torres in January 2011 as the highest paid by a British club, takes United’s summer spend to £130.7m, following the £27m spent on Luke Shaw, the £28m for Ander Herrera and £16m for Marcos Rojo.
  • Specifically, a transaction offered which is financially beneficial; a bargain.
  • * 2009 , The Guardian , Virginia Wallis, 22 Jul 2009:
  • You also have to look at the kind of mortgage deals available to you and whether you will be able to trade up to the kind of property you are looking for.
  • An agreement between parties; an arrangement
  • * 2009 , Jennifer Steinhauer, New York Times , 20 Jul 2009:
  • California lawmakers, their state broke and its credit rating shot, finally sealed the deal with the governor Monday night on a plan to close a $26 billion budget gap.
    He made a deal with the devil.
  • (informal) A situation, occasion, or event.
  • "''I've never killed anybody before. I don't see what's the big deal ."
    Line spoken by character played by John Travolta in the movie Broken Arrow .
    What's the deal ?
  • (informal) A thing, an unspecified or unidentified object.
  • The deal with four tines is called a pitchfork.
    Synonyms
    * (cards held in a card game by a player at any given time) hand * (instance of buying or selling) business deal, sale, trade, transaction * (a beneficial transaction) steal, bargain * (agreement between parties fixing obligations of each) contract, pact
    Derived terms
    * no deal * package deal * raw deal * sweetheart deal

    Etymology 3

    From (etyl) (m), cognate with (etyl) .

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (uncountable) Wood that is easy to saw (from conifers such as pine or fir)
  • (countable) A plank of softwood (fir or pine board)
  • Synonyms
    * * (plank of softwood)

    Adjective

    (-)
  • Made of deal.
  • A plain deal table
  • * 1913 ,
  • She glanced round the kitchen. It was small and curious to her, with its glittering kissing-bunch, its evergreens behind the pictures, its wooden chairs and little deal table.
  • * 1919 ,
  • Through the open door you see a red-tiled floor, a large wooden bed, and on a deal table a ewer and a basin.

    Statistics

    *