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privately-owned business

[/ˈpraɪvətli ˈoʊnd ˈbɪznəs/]
nounpl: privately-owned businesses
empresa privada
1. A business enterprise owned and controlled by private individuals or groups rather than by the government or public shareholders
The family decided to start a privately-owned business instead of joining a corporation.
A família decidiu começar uma empresa privada em vez de se juntar a uma corporação.
2. A for-profit organization where ownership is held by private parties, not publicly traded
Most small shops on Main Street are privately-owned businesses.
A maioria das pequenas lojas da Main Street são empresas privadas.
Synonyms
private businessprivate enterpriseindependent businessfamily businessproprietorship
Antonyms
publicly-owned businessstate-owned enterprisepublic companygovernment businesspublicly-traded company

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
empresa privada
Most common and standard term used throughout Brazil
Rio de Janeiro
empresa privada / negócio privado
Both terms are equally used in commercial contexts
São Paulo
empresa privada / empreendimento privado
More formal business terminology preferred in financial contexts
Portugal
empresa privada / negócio privado
Standard usage; 'negócio' more informal in European Portuguese

Related Idioms & Phrases

go into business
set up shop
run a tight ship
bootstrap a business
mom-and-pop operation
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