enterprise

enterprise — noun

1. A company or organization that does business, or a large and difficult project t

1.名詞B2
釋義

A company or organization that does business, or a large and difficult project that requires effort and often aims to earn money.

例句

The family enterprise has been passed down through three generations.

collocation: family enterprise

Minh started a small enterprise selling handmade furniture online.

countable use: a small enterprise

同義詞
  • company

    a more general and common term for any business organization; 'enterprise' often suggests ambition or a sense of undertaking

  • venture

    a new business project that involves some risk; narrower than 'enterprise'

  • corporation

    a large company or group of companies, usually in legal or financial contexts

  • undertaking

    a large, important project; more formal and slightly old-fashioned

文法句型

enterprise + can be a countable noun or uncountable noun

用法筆記

Enterprise is a broad term that can refer to any size of business, from a single-person operation to a multinational corporation. In phrases such as 'small and medium enterprises' (SMEs), it is a formal or official term for a company.

常見錯誤

❌She works for a small enterprise company.
✅She works for a small enterprise.
💡'enterprise' already means a company or organization, so adding 'company' is redundant.
❌The enterprise plan was very large.
✅The enterprise was very large.
💡'enterprise' itself means the project or organization, so it does not need 'plan' as a supporting word.

2. The energy and willingness to start new projects or think of new ideas, even whe

2.名詞B2
釋義

The energy and willingness to start new projects or think of new ideas, even when there is some risk involved.

例句

Elena showed great enterprise by launching her own bakery at the age of twenty-two.

collocation: showed great enterprise

The award recognizes young people who demonstrate enterprise in their local communities.

collocation: demonstrate enterprise

同義詞
  • initiative

    the ability to decide and act on one's own; more common and slightly broader than 'enterprise'

  • resourcefulness

    the ability to solve problems cleverly with limited means; overlaps with 'enterprise' but focuses on finding solutions rather than starting new projects

反義詞
  • passivity

    a tendency to wait for others to act instead of taking the lead

文法句型

uncountable noun: enterprise + (to-infinitive / in + noun phrase)

用法筆記

This sense is uncountable and describes a personal quality, not an organization. It is almost always used in positive contexts. The closest adjective form is 'enterprising' ('an enterprising young woman').

常見錯誤

❌She has a lot of enterprise in her work' (to mean 'she works for many companies').
✅She shows a lot of enterprise in her work' (to mean 'she takes initiative').
💡'enterprise' as a quality is uncountable and paired with verbs like 'show' or 'demonstrate', not 'have'. It never means 'many jobs.'