big corporation; major firm; leading company
Refers to a large, well-established company, often contrasted with 中小企業 (small and medium-sized enterprises).
He got a job at a major corporation.
Competition for new graduate recruitment at big companies is fierce.
He is aiming to get a job at a major corporation.
She works at a major corporation.
He received a job offer from a major corporation.
大企業 simply means 'a large company' by size, while 大手企業 stresses that the company is a leading, well-known name in its industry.
一流企業 emphasizes top-tier prestige and reputation, whereas 大手企業 just points to large scale and industry leadership.
大手 is the shorter, often stand-alone form used the same way as 大手企業 when 'company' is clear from context.
中小企業 (small and medium-sized enterprises) is the standard contrast to 大手企業 (major corporations) in business contexts.
Compound of 大手 (おおて, 'major; large-scale') and 企業 (きぎょう, 'enterprise; corporation').