Lewis & Short

nĕgōtĭum (nĕgōcĭum), ii, n. [necotium; cf.: negotium, quod non sit otium, Paul. ex Fest. p. 177 Müll.; v. 1. ne], a business, employment, occupation, affair (cf. munus).

  1. I. Lit.: negoti nunc sum plenus, Plaut. Ps. 1, 3, 146: quamquam negotiumst, si quid vis, non sum occupatus, etc., id. Merc. 2, 2, 17: qui deum nihil habere negotii volunt, Cic. Off. 3, 28, 102: in extremā parte muneris ac negotii tui, id. Q. Fr. 1, 1, 16, § 46: forensia negotia, id. de Or. 2, 6, 23: qui omnibus negotiis interfuit, id. Fam. 1, 6, 1: negotium municipii administrare, id. ib. 13, 11: procurare, id. Verr. 2, 3, 64, § 149: suscipere, id. Cat. 3, 2, 5: mandare alicui, id. Fam. 13, 26, 2: versari in negotio, id. Att. 5, 10, 3: emergere ex negotiis, id. ib. 5, 10, 3; Liv. 3, 4: transigere negotium, Cic. Phil. 2, 9, 21: negotio desistere, Caes. B. G. 1, 45: in magno negotio habere aliquid, to regard a thing as important, of great moment, Suet. Caes. 23: est mihi negotium cum aliquo, I have to do with one: mirabar, quid hic negotii esset tibi, Ter. Ad. 4, 5, 8; Cic. Fam. 8, 8, 9: adparatus, quem flagitabat instans negotium, Amm. 20, 10, 1.
    Esp. with reference to affairs of state: nostrum otium negotii inopia, non requiescendi studio constitutum est, Cic. Off. 3, 1, 2; cf. Suet. Aug. 32: publicis adfinis fuit an maritumis negotiis? i. e. in farming the revenue or in private commerce, Plaut. Trin. 2, 2, 50.
    Of the management of domestic concerns: qui suum negotium gerunt otiosi, Cic. Lael. 23, 86: praeclare suum negotium gessit Roscius, id. Rosc. Com. 12, 34: suum negotium agere, id. Off. 1, 9, 29; cf. id. ib. 1, 34, 125.
    So of trade, traffic: aes alienum negotii gerendi studio contractum, Cic. Sull. 20, 58; id. Vat. 5, 12: negotii gerentes, tradesmen, id. Sest. 45, 97: Trebonius ampla et expedita negotia in tuā provinciā habet, id. Fam. 1, 3, 1: Hor. Ep. 1, 6, 33.
    Of a lawsuit, Quint. 3, 5, 11; Suet. Calig. 40; id. Rhet. 6; cf. Plaut. Aul. 3, 4, 2.
  2. II. Transf.
    1. A. Difficulty, pains, trouble, labor: ita et hinc et illinc mi exhibent negotium, give me trouble, Plaut. Most. 3, 1, 38: huic exhibui negotium, id. Men. 5, 9, 13; id. Poen. 1, 2, 30: viden egestas quid negoti dat homini misero male, id. Trin. 4, 2, 5: satis habeo negotii in sanandis vulneribus, Cic. Att. 5, 17, 6: magnum negotium est navigare atque id mense Quintili, id. ib. 5, 12: negotium facessere alicui, to give one trouble, id. Fam. 3, 10, 1: negotium exhibere alicui, id. Off. 3, 31, 112: facere innocenti, Quint. 5, 12, 13: nihil est negotii libertatem recuperare, Cic. Fam. 12, 2, 1: Cato Siciliam tenere nullo negotio potuit, id. Att. 10, 16, 3; id. Fam. 2, 10, 2: non minori negotio, id. Verr. 2, 5, 68, § 175: quid negotii est haec poëtarum, portenta convincere? id. Tusc. 1, 6, 11: facili negotio, with little trouble (post-class.), Aur. Vict. Caes. 39, 38; cf.: levi negotio, Amm. 20, 10, 2 al.: magno negotio, Cels. 7, 5 init.; Auct. B. Aiex. 8, 4: plus negotii est, si acutus quoque morbus is factus est, Cels. 4, 6.
    2. B. Like the Gr. πρᾶγμα, for res, a matter, thing: quid est negoti? Plaut. Most. 2, 2, 27; 3, 2, 54: quid negoti est, quamobrem succenses mihi? id. Capt. 3, 5, 11: ineptum negotium et Graeculum, Cic. Tusc. 1, 35, 86.
      So of persons Teucris illa lentum negotium, a slow affair, Cic. Att. 1, 12, 1; cf. id. Q. Fr. 2, 13, 4: elinguem, tardum, inhumanum negotium, id. post Red. in Sen. 6, 14.
      As transl. of τὸ πρᾶγμα, euphemism for sensual sins, Vulg. 1 Thess. 4, 6; ib. 2 Cor. 7, 11: a negotio perambulante in tenebris, some indefinable terror, ib. Psa. 90, 6.