1. (n.) That which busies one, or that which engages the time, attention, or labor of any one, as his principal concern or interest, whether for a longer or shorter time; constant employment; regular occupation; as, the business of life; business before pleasure.

2. (n.) Any particular occupation or employment engaged in for livelihood or gain, as agriculture, trade, art, or a profession.

3. (n.) Financial dealings; buying and selling; traffic in general; mercantile transactions.

4. (n.) That which one has to do or should do; special service, duty, or mission.

5. (n.) Affair; concern; matter; -- used in an indefinite sense, and modified by the connected words.

6. (n.) The position, distribution, and order of persons and properties on the stage of a theater, as determined by the stage manager in rehearsal.

7. (n.) Care; anxiety; diligence.

Aktiengesellschaft acting action activeness activism activity affair aktiebolag allegiance area art assigned task attempt balance of trade big business body corporate bounden duty buffoonery burden business dealings business establishment call of duty calling career career building careerism cartel chamber of commerce characterization charge combine commerce commercial commercial affairs commercial enterprise commercial relations commitment compagnie company concern concernment conglomerate conglomerate corporation consolidating company consortium contract copartnership corporate body corporation craft custom deal dealing dealings dedication deference devoir devotion dingus diversified corporation dofunny doing doings duties and responsibilities duty effort employment engagement enterprise establishment ethics fair trade fealty firm free trade function gadget gag game gizmo goings-on ham hammy acting handicraft hoke hokum holding company homage hootenanny house imperative impersonation industrial industry intercourse interest issue jigger job joint-stock association joint-stock company lifework line line of business line of duty line of work lookout loyalty market marketing matter mercantile mercantile business merchant merchantry metier militancy mimesis mimicking mimicry miming mission motion movement multilateral trade mummery must mystery number obligation occasions occupation office onus operating company operation organization ought outfit overacting palaver pantomiming partnership patter performance performing personation place plan playacting playing plunderbund point political activism pool portrayal practice problem proceeding proceedings profession program project projection proposition proprietorship province public utility pursuit question racket reciprocal trade representation respect responsibility restraint of trade retail role self-imposed duty slapstick small business specialization specialty stage business stage directions stage presence stir stock company stunt subject syndicate taking a role task the business world the marketplace thing thingumajig topic trade trade association trading traffic transaction truck trust undertaking unilateral trade utility venture vocation walk walk of life wholesale work