business is business

phrase

Business matters should not be influenced by friendship or sentiment.

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Meanings

phrase
  1. Business matters should not be influenced by friendship or sentiment.

    But money first, you know, Mark; business is business as the saying is; and there's nothing like the ready.

    1846, Charles Rowcroft, The Bushranger of Van Diemen's Land
    2 more examples

    I've a mortgage now on Tompkins' lot; / What a fool he was to become a sot! […] How she will blubber and sob and sigh, / But business is business,—and what care I?

    before 1843, anonymous author, The Grog-Seller's Dream

    Although I am your nephew, I wouldn't think of asking you to lend me money without security. Business is business, so I say.

    1874, Horatio Alger, Risen from the Ranks

Origin

Possibly a calque of French les affaires sont les affaires (or vice versa). The French phrase is found as far back as George Sand's Mattea (1833).

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 公事公辦 /公事公办
  • 公事公辦 /公事公办 (gōngshìgōngbàn)business is business
Dutch zaken zijn zaken
  • zaken zijn zakenbusiness is business
Finnish bisnes on bisnestä
  • bisnes on bisnestäbusiness is business
French les affaires sont les affaires
  • les affaires sont les affairesbusiness is business
German Geschäft ist Geschäft
  • Geschäft ist Geschäftbusiness is business
Italian gli affari sono gli affari
  • gli affari sono gli affaribusiness is business
Polish biznes to biznes
  • biznes to biznesbusiness is business
Portuguese amigos, amigos; negócios à parte
  • amigos, amigos; negócios à partebusiness is business
Spanish los negocios son los negocios
  • los negocios son los negociosbusiness is business
Tamil தொழில் தொழில் தான்
  • தொழில் தொழில் தான் (toḻil toḻil tāṉ)business is business
Cite this entry
APA

business is business. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/business%20is%20business

MLA

“business is business.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/business%20is%20business. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “business is business,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/business%20is%20business.

Source: business is business on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.