personal business
Noun 1. Matters of personal concern; private affairs: This refers to issues, tasks, or activities that are the private responsibility of an individual and are not related to their public or professional life. It implies a sphere of activity that is one's own.
The term "personal business" is used to denote private matters that an individual needs to attend to. It is often used to explain an absence, a need for privacy, or a reason for not being available. - It is commonly used in phrases like "mind your own personal business" (a stronger form of "mind your own business") or "attend to some personal business." - It functions as a countable noun, often in the singular form (e.g., "personal business") but can be pluralized (e.g., "personal businesses") when referring to multiple distinct private matters.
- Euphemistic Use: The phrase is frequently used as a polite or vague euphemism to avoid specifying private details, such as medical appointments, family issues, or financial matters.
- The manager is out of the office attending to personal business.
- In Legal/Formal Contexts: It can appear in formal contexts to distinguish private activities from official duties.
- Employees must not use company time for *personal business.
- Private affairs: A direct synonym, often used interchangeably.
- Personal matters: A very common synonym with identical meaning.
- Personal affairs: Another equivalent phrase.
- Private affairs
- Personal matters
- Own business (as in "It's my own business.")
- None of your personal business: A stern way to tell someone that a matter is private and not their concern. (A stronger variant of "None of your business.")
- How much money I make is none of your personal business.
- To have personal business to attend to: A standard phrase for having private matters that require one's attention.
- I'm afraid I have urgent personal business to attend to.
- matters of personal concern
- get his affairs in order