Essential Business English Vocabulary: Definitions & Examples

Essential Business English Vocabulary

Avoid pitfalls: To prevent mistakes or problems in a situation.

Build team spirit: To think or act with loyalty to your team.

Cash in on: To get money or another advantage from an event or situation.

Check-in: To show your ticket at the airport so you can be told where you will be sitting and so that your bags can be put on the aircraft.

Flight status: The current situation regarding when an aircraft is making a particular journey.

Get off to a dreadful start: To begin an activity badly.

Loyalty programme: A scheme rewarding customers.

Review: A report that contains important information about an activity.

Search engine: A computer program that finds information on the internet.

Social Network: A website that allows users to post messages.

Working hours: The amount of time someone spends at work during a day.

Unit 14

Behind-the-scenes: Happens without most people knowing about it.

Boom: To experience an increase in economic activity.

Broaden the potential: To increase the ability of something to develop for success.

Cater to: To try to satisfy a need.

Circumstantial: Happening because of a particular situation.

Clear: To give official permission for something.

Collaboration: Working together with other people to create something.

Counter-intuitive advice: Opinion which someone offers you about what you should do in a situation you weren't expecting.

Cut off a conversation: To stop a conversation suddenly.

Delegate: A person who is elected by a group to speak or vote for it.

Estimate: A statement for a customer about how much a piece should cost.

Financial implication: The effect that an action relating to money will have on something.

In due course: At a suitable time in the future.

Industry peer: A person who has a similar job to other people involved in one type of business.

Let an opportunity slip: To not use the possibility of doing something that you want to do or have to do.

Old hand: Someone who is very experienced in an activity.

On request: To ask for it if you want it.

Pen drive: A flash drive.

Stroke of luck: When something good happens suddenly by chance.

Up-and-coming: Achieving success soon or in the near future.

Within close proximity to: The state of being very near in space or time.

Unit 15

Accountability: A situation where someone is responsible for things that happen and can give a reason for them.

Agenda: A list of things to discuss in a meeting.

Bias: To allow personal opinions to influence your judgment in an unfair way.

Chair: The person who is in charge of a meeting.

Circulate: Send information, ideas, or documents from one person to another.

End in chaos: To finish in a state of total confusion with no order.

Face to face: A situation where you talk directly to another person.

Know-how: Practical knowledge, experience, and ability.

Meeting venue: The place where a meeting happens.

Minutes: A written record of what everybody talks about at a meeting.

Morale: The level of satisfaction felt by a person or group who work together.

Productive: Achieving good results.

Reach a conclusion: To make a decision about something.