enterprise

Also found in: Thesaurus, Medical, Legal, Financial, Acronyms, Idioms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.

Related to enterprise: budget, Enterprise value

en·ter·prise

(ĕn′tər-prīz′)

1. An undertaking, especially one of some scope, complication, and risk.

2. A business organization.

3. Industrious, systematic activity, especially when directed toward profit: Private enterprise is basic to capitalism.

4. Willingness to undertake new ventures; initiative: "Through want of enterprise and faith men are where they are, buying and selling, and spending their lives like serfs" (Henry David Thoreau).

[Middle English, from Old French entreprise, from past participle of entreprendre, to undertake : entre-, between (from Latin inter-; see inter-) + prendre, to take (from Latin prehendere, prēndere; see ghend- in Indo-European roots).]

en′ter·pris′er n.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

enterprise

(ˈɛntəˌpraɪz)

1. a project or undertaking, esp one that requires boldness or effort

2. participation in such projects

3. readiness to embark on new ventures; boldness and energy

4. (Commerce)

a. initiative in business

b. (as modifier): the enterprise culture.

5. (Commerce) a business unit; a company or firm

[C15: from Old French entreprise (n), from entreprendre from entre- between (from Latin: inter-) + prendre to take, from Latin prehendere to grasp]

ˈenterˌpriser n

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

en•ter•prise

(ˈɛn tərˌpraɪz)

n.

1. a project undertaken, esp. one that is important or difficult or requires boldness or energy.

2. a plan for such a project.

3. participation or engagement in such projects.

4. boldness or readiness in undertaking; adventurous spirit or ingenuity.

5. a company organized for commercial purposes; business firm.

6. (cap.) the prototype for the space shuttle, used for atmospheric flight and landing tests.

[1400–50; late Middle English < Middle French, n. use of feminine of entrepris, past participle of entreprendre to undertake, Old French, =entre- inter- + prendre to take (see prize1)]

en′ter•pris`er, n.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Switch to new thesaurus

Noun	1.	enterprise - a purposeful or industrious undertaking (especially one that requires effort or boldness); "he had doubts about the whole enterprise" endeavor, endeavour fraudulent scheme, illegitimate enterprise, racket - an illegal enterprise (such as extortion or fraud or drug peddling or prostitution) carried on for profit forlorn hope - a hopeless or desperate enterprise project, task, undertaking, labor - any piece of work that is undertaken or attempted; "he prepared for great undertakings" business activity, commercial activity - activity undertaken as part of a commercial enterprise
	2.	enterprise - an organization created for business ventures; "a growing enterprise must have a bold leader" organization, organisation - a group of people who work together giant - an unusually large enterprise; "Walton built a retail giant" collective - members of a cooperative enterprise business, business concern, business organisation, business organization, concern - a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it; "he bought his brother's business"; "a small mom-and-pop business"; "a racially integrated business concern" commercial enterprise - an enterprise connected with commerce
	3.	enterprise - readiness to embark on bold new ventures enterprisingness, initiative, go-ahead drive - the trait of being highly motivated; "his drive and energy exhausted his co-workers"

enterprise

noun

1. firm, company, business, concern, operation, organization, establishment, commercial undertaking There are plenty of small industrial enterprises.

2. venture, operation, project, adventure, undertaking, programme, pursuit, endeavour Horse breeding is a risky enterprise.

3. initiative, energy, spirit, resource, daring, enthusiasm, push (informal), imagination, drive, pep, readiness, vigour, zeal, ingenuity, originality, eagerness, audacity, boldness, welly (slang), get-up-and-go (informal), alertness, resourcefulness, gumption (informal), adventurousness, imaginativeness His trouble is that he lacks enterprise.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

enterprise

noun

1. Something undertaken, especially something requiring extensive planning and work:

project, undertaking, venture.

2. An exciting, often hazardous undertaking:

adventure, emprise, venture.

3. A commercial organization:

business, company, concern, corporation, establishment, firm, house.

Informal: outfit.

4. An aggressive readiness along with energy to undertake taxing efforts:

drive, hustle, initiative, punch.

Informal: get-up-and-go, gumption, push.

Translations

عَزيمَه، روح الإقْداممَشْروع

podnik

foretagendeinitiativvirkelyst

Unternehmen Initiative

empresa iniciativa

entreprise esprit d'initiative

vállalkozó szellem

dirfskaframtak

impresa iniziativa privata intraprendente intraprendenza intraprendere

iniciatyvainiciatyvusišradingumas

iniciatīvapasākumsuzņēmībauzņēmums

onderneming

framdrift initiativ virketrang

empreendimento empresa

предприятие хозяйство затея

podnikavosť

podjetje

cesaret girişimgözüpeklikteşebbüs

事业事业心企业

enterprise

[ˈentəpraɪz]

A. N

1. (= firm, undertaking) → empresa f

2. (= initiative) → iniciativa f
free enterprise → la libre empresa
private enterprise → la empresa privada

B. CPD the enterprise culture N → la cultura empresarial
enterprise zone N zona declarada de especial interés para el fomento de actividades empresariales

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

enterprise

[ˈɛntə^rpraɪz] n

(= entrepreneurial activity) → entreprise f
He wanted to promote the development of local enterprise → Il a voulu agir pour le développement de l'entreprise dans sa région.
private enterprise → entreprise f privée

(= company, business) → entreprise f

(= venture, undertaking) → entreprise f

(= initiative) → esprit m d'initiative, initiative f

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

enterprise

no pl (= initiative, ingenuity) → Initiative f; (= adventurousness) → Unternehmungsgeist m

(= project, undertaking, Comm: = firm) → Unternehmen nt; free/public/private enterprise (system) → freies/öffentliches/privates Unternehmertum

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

enterprise

[ˈɛntəˌpraɪz] n

a. (firm, undertaking, company) → impresa

b. (initiative) → iniziativa

enterprise

(ˈentəpraiz) noun

1. something that is attempted or undertaken (especially if it requires boldness or courage). business enterprises; a completely new enterprise.

2. willingness to try new lines of action. We need someone with enterprise and enthusiasm.

ˈenterprising adjective

(negative unenterprising) full of enterprise; adventurous.

References in classic literature ?

From those early impressions, the grand enterprise of the great fur companies, and the hazardous errantry of their associates in the wild parts of our vast continent, have always been themes of charmed interest to me; and I have felt anxious to get at the details of their adventurous expeditions among the savage tribes that peopled the depths of the wilderness.

View in context

IN A RECENT WORK we have given an account of the grand enterprise of Mr.

View in context

"The proposal for this scientific undertaking was officially made, yesterday, at the rooms of the Royal Geographical Society, and the sum of twenty-five hundred pounds was voted to defray the expenses of the enterprise.

View in context

Their president, Barbicane, the promoter of the enterprise, having consulted the astronomers of the Cambridge Observatory upon the subject, took all necessary means to ensure the success of this extraordinary enterprise, which had been declared practicable by the majority of competent judges.

View in context

Yet a second step is taken towards my enterprise. I have hired a vessel and am occupied in collecting my sailors; those whom I have already engaged appear to be men on whom I can depend and are certainly possessed of dauntless courage.

View in context

His foibles - faults if you like - will never be dwelt upon in any memorandum of mine," he declares, and goes on - "he whose splendid and matchless achievements will be remembered with admiration while there is gratitude in the hearts of Britons, or while a ship floats upon the ocean; he whose example on the breaking out of the war gave so chivalrous an impulse to the younger men of the service that all rushed into rivalry of daring which disdained every warning of prudence, and led to acts of heroic enterprise which tended greatly to exalt the glory of our nation."

View in context

Like his younger brother Henry, he had increased his pecuniary resources by his own enterprise and ingenuity; with this difference, that his speculations were connected with the Arts.

View in context

It was at this juncture that Clara Belle and Susan Simpson consulted Rebecca, who threw herself solidly and wholeheartedly into the enterprise, promising her help and that of Emma Jane Perkins.

View in context

Yet, in spite of these perplexing difficulties, the eyes of the whole people were fixed on General Washington, expecting him to undertake some great enterprise against the hostile army.

View in context

Prussia, by a remittance of 250,000 thalers, testified her high approval of the enterprise.

View in context

But their enterprise was delayed by the absence of more than one main limb of the confederacy.

View in context

AN Editor who was always vaunting the purity, enterprise, and fearlessness of his paper was pained to observe that he got no subscribers.