BUSINESS AS USUAL Definition & Meaning

business as usual

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Idioms and Phrases

The normal course of some activity, as in The fire destroyed only a small section of the store, so it's business as usual . This term originated as an announcement that a commercial establishment was continuing to operate in spite of fire, construction, or some similar interruption. It had been extended to broader use by 1914, when Winston Churchill said in a speech: “The maxim of the British people is ‘Business as usual,’” which became a slogan for the rest of World War I. Today it may be used in this positive sense and also pejoratively, as in Never mind that most civilians are starving to death—the ministry regards its job to be business as usual . [Late 1800s]

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

However, we cannot operate business as usual.

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Josée says that while the findings are "worrying", it has been business as usual at the salon.

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"To deliver our Plan for Change we will reshape the state so it is fit for the future. We cannot stick to business as usual," a Cabinet Office source said.

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“No more business as usual. Watts has paid the price for their greed for too long, and this decision shows that their days of running unchecked are coming to an end.”

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"We know we cannot go about business as usual because we are in extraordinary times."

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More About Business As Usual

What does��business as usual mean?

Business as usual refers to a situation that’s proceeding as it normally does.

Business as usual is sometimes used to mock or criticize someone’s actions during a crisis or emergency, as in Despite the numerous scandals rocking the company, it was business as usual for the hapless CEO.��

The phrase can also be used to refer to a return to normal activity after a problem or is solved or a crisis ends.

Example: The power outage was fixed last night and the neighborhood is back to business as usual today.

Where does��business as usual come from?

The first records of the phrase business as usual come from the late 1800s. This phrase is thought to originate from stores announcing they would continue to operate as they usually did despite an emergency or interrupting event. By 1914, it was being used more generally when Winston Churchill used the phrase in a speech to encourage British citizens to act normally despite British involvement in World War I.

The business in business as usual does not have to be boring or mundane, only usual or customary. For a sports team that usually wins its games, winning is business as usual.

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What are some synonyms for business as usual?

just another day at the office
ordinary
normal

What are some words that share a root or word element with business as usual?��

What are some words that often get used in discussing business as usual?

How is��business as usual used in real life?

Business as usual is used to describe normal activity. It’s sometimes used in a mocking or critical way to refer to chaotic situations that have come to be expected as the norm.

I predict a big day for looking at Twitter and screaming. So, pretty much business as usual.

— Joe Berkowitz (@JoeBerkowitz)

How are most people with kids handling trick or treating? Business as usual or have you altered your plans?

— Jody Smith (@JodySmithNFL)

I forget sometimes that with a Cat 2 hurricane about to hit New Orleans and the rest of Southeast Louisiana… that it’s business as usual across the rest of the country.

Kinda like Mardi Gras day… except not as fun.

— Andrew Lopez (@_Andrew_Lopez)

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Try using��business as usual!

Is business as usual used correctly in the following sentence?��

Despite a horde of kittens invading the store, it was business as usual and the employees acted as if the fuzzy trespassers weren’t there.

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

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