business and concern share a recorded sense, so the question is not what they mean but which one fits. business means “a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it”. concern means “something that interests you because it is important or affects you”. business is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/ˈbɪznəs/
1.n.a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it
“he bought his brother's business”
2.n.the activity of providing goods and services involving financial and commercial and industrial aspects
“computers are now widely used in business”
3.n.the principal activity in your life that you do to earn money
“he's not in my line of business”
| business | concern | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈbɪznəs/ | /kənˈsɝn/ |
| Said | BIZ-nuhs | kuhn-SURN |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Letters | 8 | 7 |
| Parts of speech | noun | noun, verb |
| Senses | 9 | 7 |
| How common | Core | Common |
| Synonyms | concern, business concern, business organization | none recorded |
Full entry for business · Full entry for concern · More comparisons
/kənˈsɝn/
1.n.something that interests you because it is important or affects you
“the safety of the ship is the captain's concern”
2.n.an anxious feeling
“care had aged him”
3.n.a feeling of sympathy for someone or something
“She felt strong concern for those less fortunate”