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enterprise

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enterprise¹

  • /ˈɛntəˌpɹaɪz/ UK
  • /ˈɛntɚˌpɹaɪz/ Canada, US
  • /ˈen.təˌpɹɑez/ Australia
  • [ˈen.təˌpɹɑe̯z] New Zealand

Where it comes from

From Old French via Middle English and Middle French entreprise, feminine past participle of entreprendre (“to undertake”), from entre (“in between”) + prendre (“to take”), from Latin inter + prehendō, see prehensile.

noun enterprises · enterprize · entreprise

  1. countable, uncountable A company, business, organization, or other purposeful endeavor. The government sponsored enterprises (GSEs) are a group of financial services corporations which have been created by the United States Congress.
  2. countable, uncountable An undertaking, venture, or project, especially a daring and courageous one. Biosphere 2 was a scientific enterprise aimed at the exploration of the complex web of interactions within life systems.

    Similar: pursuit, undertaking, emprise, activity, doings, endeavor, enterprise, pursuance, venture

  3. uncountable A willingness to undertake new or risky projects; energy and initiative. He has shown great enterprise throughout his early career.

    Similar: initiative

  4. uncountable Active participation in projects.

Similar: business, company, enterprise, firm

verb enterprises · enterprising · enterprised · enterprize · entreprise

  1. intransitive To undertake an enterprise, or something hazardous or difficult. Charles Mordaunt Earl of Peterborow[…], with only 280 horse and 950 foot , enterprised and accomplished the Conquest of Valentia
  2. transitive To undertake; to begin and attempt to perform; to venture upon. The business must be enterprised this night.
  3. obsolete, transitive To put up or house; to entertain. Him at the threshold met, and well did enterprize.

Enterprise²

proper noun

  1. A city in Coffee County, Alabama.
  2. An unincorporated community in Amador County, California.
  3. An unincorporated community in Lake County, California.
  4. An unincorporated community in Volusia County, Florida.
  5. An unincorporated community in Spencer County, Indiana.
  6. A minor city in Dickinson County, Kansas.
  7. A town in Clarke County, Mississippi.
  8. An unincorporated community in Union County, Mississippi.
  9. An unincorporated community in Linn County, Missouri.
  10. An unincorporated community in Shelby County, Missouri.
  11. An unincorporated town and census-designated place in Clark County, Nevada.
  12. An unincorporated community in Hocking County, Ohio.
  13. An unincorporated community in Preble County, Ohio.
  14. A city, the county seat of Wallowa County, Oregon.
  15. A city in Washington County, Utah.
  16. A census-designated place in Morgan County, Utah.
  17. An unincorporated community in Wirt County, West Virginia.
  18. A town and unincorporated community in Oneida County, Wisconsin.
  19. A hamlet in the South Slave Region, Northwest Territories, Canada.
  20. A hamlet in Stone Mills, Ontario, Canada.
  21. A rural municipality of Saskatchewan, Canada.
  22. A village in the Demerara-Mahaica region, Guyana.

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: enterprisingness, initiative, go-ahead, endeavor, endeavour, task, work, operator, entrepreneurial, operation, entrepreneur, entrepreneurship, project, employer, workplace, business

noun

Similar: business, company, enterprise, firm

Translations

Every language

noun company, business, organization, or endeavor

Españolempresa, destajo
한국어사업 sa'eop, 기업 gieop
日本語企業 kigyō, 事業 jigyō
中文企業 /企业 qǐyè
हिन्दीउद्यम udyam, उपक्रम upakram
Portuguêsempresa
Françaisentreprise
DeutschUnternehmen
Italianoimpresa
Ελληνικάεπιχείρηση epicheírisi, εργολαβία ergolavía
Românăîntreprindere
Русскийпредприя́тие predprijátije
Tiếng Việtxí nghiệp
العربيةمُغَامَرَة muḡāmara, شَرِكَة šarika
עבריתעֵסֶק ések

noun undertaking, especially a daring and courageous one

Españolempresa, emprendimiento, destajo
中文事業 /事业 shìyè
हिन्दीउद्यम udyam
Portuguêsempreendimento, empreitada
Françaisventure
DeutschUnterfangen, Vorhaben
Italianoimpresa
Русскийриско́ванный прое́кт riskóvannyj proékt, начина́ние načinánije, зате́я zatéja, предприя́тие predprijátije
עבריתמִבְצָע mivtsá, יָזְמָה yozmá

noun willingness to undertake projects, energy and initiative

Españolempuje, iniciativa
日本語冒険心 bōkenshin
中文事業心 /事业心 shìyèxīn, 進取心 /进取心 jìnqǔxīn
Portuguêsiniciativa
Françaisinitiative
DeutschUnternehmungsgeist, Unternehmungslust
Italianoiniziativa
Русскийпредприи́мчивость predpriímčivostʹ, инициати́ва iniciatíva
עבריתיזמות yazamut, יזמה yozma

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Cite this
MLA

"enterprise." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/enterprise. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

enterprise. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/enterprise

Chicago

"enterprise." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/enterprise.

BibTeX
@misc{enterprise_2026,
  title = {enterprise},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/enterprise},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}