small business

American

[smawl biz-nis] / ˈsmɔl ˈbɪz nɪs /

noun

a profit-seeking enterprise or concern that is independently owned and operated, has a limited number of employees, and is not nationally dominant in its field.

Etymology

Origin of small business

An Americanism dating back to 1910–15

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Northern Ireland's largest provider of natural gas, SSE Airtricity, is to cut its prices by 8.10% from 1 April for its 215,000 domestic and small business customers.

From BBC

His wife owns a small business there.

From The Wall Street Journal

While running a small business could be a lot to manage in retirement, there are some options that play into a retiree’s experiences and skills.

From MarketWatch

A similar situation played out in the case of Carolina Amesty, a former Florida state House Republican, accused of fraudulently obtaining $122,000 of small business loans during the COVID-19 pandemic.

From Salon

“I’m not counting on a refund, but will likely join a class action lawsuit with other small business owners to get our money back if we can,” she said.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023