I. noun
also en·ter·prize R ˈentə(r)prīz, - R -təp-
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French entreprise, from feminine of entrepris, past participle of entreprendre to undertake, from entre- inter- (from Latin inter- ) + prendre to take, from Latin prehendere to seize, grasp — more at get
1.
a. : a plan or design for a venture or undertaking
his friends judged his novel enterprise to be impractical and urged him to forget it
b. : venture , undertaking , project ; especially : an undertaking that is difficult, complicated, or has a strong element of risk
indicate the … important enterprises in which he had been engaged, probably battles, expeditions, or treaties of peace — W.A.Mason
his new enterprise , a restaurant on Fifth avenue, met with complete failure
exploring the English character has long been a favorite enterprise of literary men — H.S.Commager
a military enterprise of major scope
c. : a unit of economic organization or activity (as a factory, a farm, a mine) ; especially : a business organization : firm , company
an old enterprise specializing in scientific textbooks — Current Biological
proposed to encourage the growth of small independent enterprises
d. : any systematic purposeful activity or type of activity
agriculture is the principal economic enterprise among these people
history, more than any other literary enterprise , puts the writer in the debt of other people — J.K.Galbraith
the … problem of the nature of philosophy and the philosophical enterprise itself — J.E.Smith
2. : readiness to attempt or engage in what requires daring or energy : a bold energetic questing spirit : independence of thought : initiative , energy
the public rarely shows enterprise when in search of entertainment — Tyrone Guthrie
complained of his lack of enterprise
II. verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
transitive verb
: to venture upon : undertake , launch
new churches are being enterprised in every area in America — Time
intransitive verb
archaic : to undertake an enterprise