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Synonyms

businesslike

American  
[biz-nis-lahyk] / ˈbɪz nɪsˌlaɪk /

adjective

  1. conforming to, attending to, or characteristic of business.

  2. efficient, practical, or realistic.

  3. capable but unenthusiastic.

businesslike British  
/ ˈbɪznɪsˌlaɪk /

adjective

  1. efficient and methodical

  2. earnest or severe

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • unbusinesslike adjective

Etymology

Origin of businesslike

First recorded in 1785–95; business + -like

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

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.