Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun An undertaking, especially one of some scope, complication, and risk.
  • noun A business organization.
  • noun Industrious, systematic activity, especially when directed toward profit.
  • noun Willingness to undertake new ventures; initiative.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun An undertaking; something projected and attempted; particularly, an undertaking of some importance, or one requiring boldness, energy, or perseverance.
  • noun An adventurous and enterprising spirit; disposition or readiness to engage in undertakings of difficulty, risk, or danger, or which require boldness, promptness, and energy.
  • noun Synonyms Adventure, venture, attempt, effort, endeavor. Energy, activity, alertness.
  • To undertake; attempt to perform or bring about.
  • To essay; venture upon.
  • To give reception to; entertain.
  • To attack, as with a malady; overcome.
  • To surround; circumstance.
  • To engage in an undertaking; essay; venture.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun That which is undertaken; something attempted to be performed; a work projected which involves activity, courage, energy, and the like; a bold, arduous, or hazardous attempt; an undertaking
  • noun Willingness or eagerness to engage in labor which requires boldness, promptness, energy, and like qualities.
  • transitive verb rare To undertake; to begin and attempt to perform; to venture upon.
  • transitive verb obsolete To treat with hospitality; to entertain.
  • intransitive verb rare To undertake an enterprise, or something hazardous or difficult.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A company, business, organization, or other purposeful endeavor.
  • noun An undertaking or project, especially a daring and courageous one.
  • noun A willingness to undertake new or risky projects; energy and initiative.
  • noun an active participation in projects
  • verb To undertake an enterprise, or something hazardous or difficult.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun an organization created for business ventures
  • noun a purposeful or industrious undertaking (especially one that requires effort or boldness)
  • noun readiness to embark on bold new ventures

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English, from Old French entreprise, from past participle of entreprendre, to undertake : entre-, between (from Latin inter-; see inter–) + prendre, to take (from Latin prehendere, prēndere; see ghend- in Indo-European roots).]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

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.

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Examples

  • The term "enterprise risk" refers to nontraditional ventures, such as when an issuer backs the debt or operations of power plants, hospitals or nursing homes, the report said.

    Reuters: Top News 2011

  • He is correct in the need to achieve balance, but this is only relevant to those shops who use the term enterprise architecture to describe the practice of building ivory towers.

    From Incite comes Insight...: Thoughts on others who blog about Enterprise Architecture James McGovern 2005

  • We're using the term enterprise cloud to mean an extension of data center resources into the cloud with the same security, audit, and management/administrative components that are best practices within the enterprise.

    Latest from Computerworld (Tom Henderson 2010

  • It may sound implausible that a doctrine of true, pure, boundless love could emerge from the strategic imperatives of entrepreneurship, even when the enterprise is a religion.

    One World, Under God 2009

  • It may sound implausible that a doctrine of true, pure, boundless love could emerge from the strategic imperatives of entrepreneurship, even when the enterprise is a religion.

    One World, Under God 2009

  • Yes | No | Report from mfiaprncss wrote 43 weeks 1 day ago the enterprise is my cousins boat. you will have a FANTASTIC time on the boat with him. it is such a beautiful place to fish and site see also. you can contact him for a charter at 541.765.2245 GOOD LUCK!!

    I'm going to be in the Portland Oregon area in mid September. Any suggestions for charter fishing? 2009

  • Yes | No | Report from mfiaprncss wrote 43 weeks 1 day ago the enterprise is my cousins boat. you will have a FANTASTIC time on the boat with him. it is such a beautiful place to fish and site see also. you can contact him for a charter at 541.765.2245 GOOD LUCK!!

    I'm going to be in the Portland Oregon area in mid September. Any suggestions for charter fishing? 2009

  • The big push into the enterprise is also a key to the strategy.

    WWDC, iPhone 3G and Apple’s Power Play : #comments 2008

  • Fair enough if they want to get a younger audience but they should have left well enough alone and picked a different ship with a new crew. the enterprise is an iconic symbol and to mess with it is just wrong. if they wanted to change it they should set it further on in time and made the enterprise F. i am sorry i was mistaken about Chris Pike.

    Full Reveal: JJ Abrams’ USS Enterprise | /Film 2008

  • Now that I think about it, it's a wonder this enterprise is allowed out on the net even with NN: Traditional Catholic, pro-life, Ron Paul fan, voter for prop 8. ... and still not convinced that the designated hitter rule is good for baseball. posted by John at 9: 30 PM

    29 December -- St Thomas of Canterbury John 2008

Comments

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  • It is one of several words that is often used in the nameplate of newspapers, such as The Oconee Enterprise in Watkinsville, Ga.

    July 30, 2009

  • "Distrust any enterprise that requires new clothes."

    ~Henry David Thoreau

    October 25, 2009