Meaning & use
business centres
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“business centres” is a form of “business centre”.
Meanings
nounusually pluralBritish
Areas of a city or town where many companies have offices and do business.
Grammar: Usually used in the plural when talking about several such areas, but the singular 'business centre' is also common.
Patterns
- a major business centre
- the city's business centres
The city has several business centres, each with its own character.
Many international companies have offices in the business centres of London.
The new train line will connect the business centres on both sides of the river.
nounusually pluralBritish
Facilities in a hotel or building where guests can use computers, printers, and other office services.
Grammar: Often used in the singular when referring to one specific facility: 'the hotel's business centre'.
Patterns
- hotel business centre
- use the business centre
The hotel has two business centres where guests can print documents.
I spent an hour in the business centre preparing my presentation.
Business centres in airports are handy for last-minute work.
Word forms
| singular | business centre |
|---|
Common combinations
- major business centre
- Frankfurt is a major business centre in Europe.
- hotel business centre
- The hotel business centre is open 24 hours.
- business centre facilities
- The business centre facilities include printing and faxing.
Synonyms and how they differ
- commercial centre
- A commercial centre is similar but often refers to shopping areas as well as offices.
- office park
- An office park is a group of office buildings outside a city centre, while a business centre is usually in a central area.
Word family
- business center noun
- American spelling of the same word.
Commonly confused: business centres or business center?
business centres vs business center
This is the American spelling; 'business centre' is British. Both are correct, but use one spelling consistently.
Practice
The hotel's ______ has computers and a printer for guests to use.
Choose one answer.
The singular 'business centre' is used because we are talking about one specific facility in the hotel. 'Business centres' would mean more than one, which does not fit 'the hotel's'. 'Business centre's' is possessive and would need a noun after it, like 'business centre's printer'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “business centres”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.