business cycle

American  

noun

1. a recurrent fluctuation in the total business activity of a country.

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business cycle British  

noun

1. Also called: trade cycle.  the recurrent fluctuation between boom and depression in the economic activity of a capitalist country

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business cycle Cultural  

1. A period during which business activity reaches a low point, recovers, expands, reaches a high point, decreases to a new low point, and so on.

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Etymology

Origin of business cycle

First recorded in 1920–25

Example Sentences

As a result, commodity shocks can transmit to headline inflation more quickly than changes in the broader business cycle.

From MarketWatch

State Street Investment Management said in a recent business cycle analysis, that during economic expansion, “financials’ outperformance is quite consistent, as they beat the market in 11 out of 13 expansion phases.”

From MarketWatch

For EPB, this is the standout leading indicator of the economy’s wellbeing and to all intents and purposes, “housing is the business cycle”.

From MarketWatch

While monetary policy is able to address cyclical conditions like a downturn in the business cycle, it cannot address the structural factors that determine rates of employment in the long term, he added.

From The Wall Street Journal

Founders including Huu and Vinh said the current downturn is part of a natural business cycle, and stronger firms would eventually emerge offering better products.

From Barron's