venture
VEN-cher
/ˈvɛntʃər/
A risky or daring journey or undertaking; a business enterprise involving considerable risk.
A venture implies that you might lose everything, but the potential reward is high.
The story behind the word. A shortened form of 'adventure', from the Latin 'adventura', meaning 'things about to happen'. It originally referred to luck or fortune.
Word relationships
- enterprise: An enterprise is a large project or company; a venture specifically emphasizes the risk involved.
- undertaking: An undertaking is any task you commit to; a venture is a risky one.
- certainty: A certainty involves no risk, the opposite of a venture.
Commonly confused with
- adventure: An adventure is for fun or excitement; a venture is usually for business or a specific goal.
Word family
- venturer (noun): A person who ventures.
- venturesome (adjective): Willing to take risks.
Collocations
- joint venture
- venture capital
- new venture
- business venture
Idioms & expressions
- nothing ventured, nothing gained
Example sentences
- "The two companies formed a joint venture to develop the new technology." Business
- "Nothing ventured, nothing gained." Proverb
Memory hook
'Venture' sounds like 'Adventure' but for business. Risk for reward.
When not to use
Don't use it for a safe, established business; it must involve risk.
Fun facts
- 'Venture Capital' (VC) is a type of private equity financing that is provided by venture capital firms to startups.
Related words
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