Vocapedia
Log inTry for Free
Log in

Looking up...

Words

  • Words of the Year
  • Recent Lookups
  • My Dictionary

Languages

  • English
  • Vietnamese
  • Japanese
  • Chinese
  • Spanish
  • French
  • Korean
  • German

Features

  • Words of the Year
  • My Collections List
  • Reviews
  • Learning Resources
  • Community Collections

Learn

  • How It Works
  • Study Guides
  • Language Tips
  • FAQ
  • Getting Started
  • For Individuals
  • For Teachers

Community

  • Forum
  • Blog
  • Help Center
  • Partnerships

About

  • About Vocapedia
  • Contact Us
  • Feedback

Legal

  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Accessibility
  • GDPR Compliance
© 2026 Vocapedia. All rights reserved.

mind your own business

/maɪnd jɔːr oʊn ˈbɪznɪs/
phrase★Intermediate— stay out of others' affairs
informal

to refrain from interfering in someone else's matters or affairs

He kept asking about my salary, so I told him to mind his own business.

I asked him to stop prying into my financial matters.

It's not your concern—just mind your own business and finish your work.

Focus on your responsibilities rather than others' issues.

💡

Often used to tell someone to stop meddling or asking personal questions. Can sound rude if not softened with tone.

Collocations

mind your own businessa phrase used to tell someone to stop interfering

Synonyms

stay out of itkeep to yourselfdon't interfereleave it alone

Antonyms

meddleinterfereprystick your nose in

Related Phrases

none of your businessphrase
a response indicating that something is not someone else's concern
butt outslang
informal way to tell someone to stop interfering

💡Pro Tip

When to use it

Use this phrase when someone is prying into your personal life or affairs. It’s best suited for informal or neutral contexts rather than formal settings.

⚡Gold Rule

Avoid sounding rude

Pair this phrase with a polite tone or context to avoid sounding harsh. For example, 'I’d prefer to handle this myself—could you mind your own business?'

📖Word Origin

The phrase combines 'mind' (to attend to) and 'business' (affairs or concerns), dating back to the 17th century. It evolved from earlier expressions like 'mind your own affairs' to its current form.

📝Usage Notes

This phrase is direct and may come across as impolite if used abruptly. It’s often softened with context or tone in casual conversation.

Word Breakdown

mind
to attend to or focus on
verb
+
your own
belonging to or relating to you
possessive pronoun + adjective
+
business
affairs or matters
noun
English Dictionary

Learning Progress

Track your learning journey!

• Save words to build your vocabulary

• Monitor your daily streak

• Get personalized review reminders

• See words learned statistics

Log in to access advanced features and track your progress!

Go to Dashboard →

Recent Lookups

The most recent words being looked up. Stay up to date with what language learners are exploring.