noun
enterprise
A business or a difficult project, especially one requiring initiative.
Their small enterprise sells handmade furniture to customers across the country.
Etymology
The French verb means to undertake. An enterprise is what someone takes on, especially an undertaking whose difficulty calls for initiative and organized effort.
More examples
- Restoring the abandoned theater is an ambitious enterprise.
- Several local enterprises share a warehouse to reduce costs.
- Opening a free clinic is a demanding but worthwhile enterprise.
Forms
enterprise · enterprises
enterprising adjective — Showing initiative and resourcefulness in pursuing opportunities.
Similar words
- venture
- Emphasizes risk or uncertainty in a business or project.
- business
- Specifically denotes commercial activity or an organization conducting it.
- undertaking
- Emphasizes a task or project rather than a commercial organization.