Meaning & use
commercial establishments
Last updated
“commercial establishments” is a form of “commercial establishment”.
Meaning
nounplural
Businesses such as shops, restaurants, hotels, or offices that serve the public or make a profit.
Grammar: Always plural in this form; use 'a commercial establishment' for one.
Patterns
- commercial establishments in an area
- register commercial establishments
- a list of commercial establishments
The new rules apply to all commercial establishments in the district.
Many commercial establishments close early on Sundays.
The city keeps a record of commercial establishments for tax purposes.
Word forms
| singular | commercial establishment |
|---|
Common combinations
- local commercial establishments
- Local commercial establishments reported fewer customers this year.
- register commercial establishments
- Business owners must register commercial establishments with the city.
- commercial establishments act
- The Commercial Establishments Act sets rules for shops and hotels.
- a range of commercial establishments
- The street offers a range of commercial establishments.
Synonyms and how they differ
- businesses
- Businesses is the everyday word; commercial establishments is formal and often used in legal or official writing.
- firms
- Firms usually means companies, especially professional ones, while commercial establishments includes shops, restaurants, and hotels.
Word family
- establishment noun
- A business or organization, or the act of starting something.
Commonly confused: commercial establishments or establishment?
commercial establishments vs establishment
'Establishment' alone can mean any organization or the act of founding something; 'commercial establishment' is specifically a profit-making business.
Practice
Which of these is most likely to be called a commercial establishment?
Choose one answer.
A restaurant is a business that serves the public for profit, so it is a commercial establishment. Libraries and government offices are public services, and a family home is not a business.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “commercial establishments”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.