Word sets: Business English194 words
- goodsB1nounthings that are made to be sold, or things that you own and can carry
- equityB2nounthe value of the shares in a company, or the part of a home's value you own; also fairness
- dividendC1nounpart of a company's profit that is paid to the people who own its shares
- portfolioC1nouna collection of your best work to show employers, or the investments that one person or company owns
- sponsorshipC1nounmoney or support a company gives to an event, team or person, usually to advertise itself
- inventoryB2nounall the goods a store or company has available to sell or use; a list of them
- transactionB2nounone act of buying, selling or moving money, especially through a bank
- leaseB2nouna legal agreement that lets you use a house, flat or land for a time if you pay rent
- hedgeB2nouna line of bushes growing close together around a garden or field; also a way to protect against loss
- distributionB1nounthe act of giving or sending things to many people or places; the way something is shared out
- premiumC1nounan amount of money you pay regularly for insurance, or an extra amount you pay for something better
- clientB2nounsomeone who pays an expert, agency or firm to do a job for them or give them advice
- impactB1nouna strong effect that something has on a person, situation or thing
- authorityB1nounthe power to give orders or make decisions; also an official group with this power
- obtainB1verbto get something, often by making an effort or following an official process
- maturityB2nounthe quality of behaving in a sensible adult way, or the state of being fully grown
- sometimeB1adverbat a time in the past or future that is not known or not fixed
- economistB2nouna person who studies how money, trade and industry work in a society
- mediaB2nountelevision, radio, newspapers and the internet, seen as ways of giving news and information to many people
- marginalC1adjectivesmall in amount or effect, and not very important
- sellerB2nouna person or company that sells something
- mergerB2nounthe joining of two or more companies or organizations into one
- auditB2nounan official check of a company's accounts, or a careful check of how something is done
- consumptionB1nounthe amount of energy, food or goods that people use; also the act of using or eating them
- depreciationC1nounthe fall in the value of an asset over time because of age or use
- strategicB2adjectivecarefully planned to achieve a long-term goal or advantage
- recessionB2nouna period when a country's economy is weak, with less trade and fewer jobs
- entityC1nounsomething that exists as a separate unit, such as a company, organization or legal body
- utilityB2nouna service such as electricity, water or gas that people pay for; also usefulness
- productivityC1nounhow much a person, machine or company produces compared with the time or money used
- overheadB2adjectiveabove your head; also, relating to the regular costs of running a business
- organizationalC1adjectiveconnected with how a group or company is arranged and run, or with planning things well
- commodityC2nouna raw material or farm product, like oil, coffee or rice, traded in large amounts; also anything useful or valuable
- monetaryC1adjectiverelating to money, especially the money supply of a country
- aggregateC1adjectiveformed by adding several separate amounts or parts together into a total
- valuationC1nouna professional estimate of how much something, such as a company or property, is worth
- fiscalB2adjectiveconnected with government money, especially taxes and public spending
- payableB2adjectivethat must or can be paid, especially by a certain date or to a certain person
- defaultC1nounfailure to pay back a loan or to do something you legally agreed to do
- aspectB1nounone part or feature of a situation, problem or idea
- calculationB2nounthe act of using numbers to find an answer, or the answer you get
- subsidiaryC1nouna company that is owned or controlled by a larger company
- allocationC1nounthe act of giving out money, time or resources for a particular use
- couponB1nouna small piece of paper or a code that gives you a lower price on something
- volatilityC1nounthe tendency to change quickly and unpredictably, especially in prices, markets or emotions
- retailerB2nouna person or company that sells goods directly to the public, usually in shops or online
- deviationC1nouna difference from what is normal, expected or agreed
- receivableC2adjective(of money) owed to a business and not yet paid
- equilibriumC2nouna state of balance between different forces or influences
- creditorC1nouna person or company that someone owes money to
- derivativeC1adjectivecopying or based on other people's work, with little that is new or original
- incurB2verbto have to pay a cost, or suffer something bad, because of something you did
- surplusC1nounan amount that is more than what is needed or used; also money left after paying all costs
- disclosureC1nounthe act of telling people something that was secret or not widely known
- regimeB2nouna government, especially a strict one that people did not freely elect; also a system of rules
- riskyB2adjectivelikely to end badly or cause harm or loss
- leverageC1nounthe power to influence people or results, especially in a negotiation
- brokerC1nouna person or company paid to buy or sell things, such as shares or houses, for other people
- outstandingB1adjectiveextremely good, much better than others
- parliamentB2nounthe group of elected people in a country who make and change its laws
- coalitionB2nouna group of political parties or organizations that agree to work together for a shared aim
- maximizeC1verbto make something as large, good or effective as possible
- lenderB2nouna person or organization that gives money to someone who must pay it back later
- grossB2adjectivetotal, before tax or costs are taken away; also, informally, very unpleasant or disgusting
- liquidityC1nounhow easily a person or company can turn assets into cash or pay short-term debts
- stockholderB2nouna person or organization that owns shares in a company
- vendorC1nouna person who sells things in the street; also a company that sells a product or service
- fraudB2nounthe crime of tricking people to get money or goods; also a person who does this
- allocateC1verbto decide officially that an amount of money, time or space will be used for a particular purpose
- regulatorC1nounan official person or organization that makes sure businesses follow the rules
- swapC1verbto give something and get something else in return; to exchange or change one thing for another
- bankruptcyB2nounthe state of being legally unable to pay your debts
- providerB2nouna person or company that supplies a service or product to others
- regressionC1nouna return to an earlier or worse state, or a statistical method that links one variable to another
- turnoverC1nounthe rate at which workers leave a company and are replaced; also the total sales of a business
- accountantB1nouna person whose job is to keep or check financial records and prepare tax reports
- constitutionB2nounthe set of basic laws and principles that says how a country is governed and what rights people have
- traderB2nouna person who buys and sells goods, or stocks and other financial products
- monopolyC1nouncomplete control of a market or service by one company, so others cannot compete
- correlationC2nouna connection between two things, where one changes when the other changes
- exB1nouna person you used to have a romantic relationship with or used to be married to
- profitableB2adjectivemaking money; also bringing a useful result or advantage
- breachC1nounan action that breaks a law, rule or agreement; also a gap that lets something get through
- subsidyC2nounmoney that a government pays to help a business or industry, or to keep prices low
- auditorB2nouna person whose job is to check a company's financial records to see that they are correct
- bankerB2nouna person who has an important job in a bank, or who owns one
- corruptionB2noundishonest or illegal behavior by people in power, such as taking money for favors
- issuerC1nouna company, bank or government that offers shares, bonds or cards for people to buy or use
- borrowerB2nouna person or organization that takes money or something else and agrees to give it back
- insurerB2nouna company or person that sells insurance and pays money when something bad happens
- patentC1nounan official right to be the only person or company allowed to make or sell a new invention
- profitabilityC2nounthe ability of a business to make a profit, or how much profit it makes
- debitB2nounmoney that leaves your bank account when you pay for something, or a record of it in accounts
- durationC1nounthe length of time that something lasts
- scenarioC1nouna description of what could possibly happen in the future or in a particular situation
- terrorismB1nounthe use of violence against ordinary people to frighten them, usually for political reasons
- respondentC1nouna person who answers questions in a survey, or who defends themselves in a court case
- regulatoryC2adjectivehaving the power to control an activity or industry by making official rules
- takeoverB2nounthe act of gaining control of a company, a country or a place, often by force or by buying it
- indicatorC1nounsomething that shows what a situation is like or how it is changing
- classifyB1verbto put people or things into groups according to their type or features
- optimalC1adjectivebest possible in a particular situation, giving the most favorable result
- nominalC1adjectiveexisting in name or on paper only, or very small in amount
- infrastructureC1nounthe basic systems a country or city needs, such as roads, bridges, power and water supply
- discloseC1verbto make secret or private information known to other people
- offsetB2verbto balance or cancel the effect of something, so that the result is smaller or less bad
- effectivenessB2nounhow well something works or produces the result that was wanted
- merchandiseB2noungoods that are bought and sold, or products that are sold to promote a brand or event
- boundB1adjectivecertain to happen; also forced to do something by a law, promise or duty
- bargainB1nounsomething bought for less than its usual price; also an agreement between people
- conversionB2nounthe process of changing something from one form, use or system to another
- statisticsB2nounnumbers and facts collected to show information, or the science of studying them
- stakeholderC1nouna person or group that is affected by a company or project and cares about its success
- administrativeB2adjectiverelating to the work of organizing and running a company, school or office
- taxpayerB2nouna person or company that pays tax to the government
- allianceB2nounan agreement between countries, groups or people to work together for shared benefit
- minimizeB2verbto make something bad, such as a risk or cost, as small as possible
- flexibilityB2nounthe ability to change or adapt easily; also the ability to bend without breaking
- debtorC1nouna person, company or country that owes money to someone
- liableC1adjectivelegally responsible for something, or likely to experience something bad
- authorizeB2verbto give official permission for something to happen, or for someone to do something
- parameterC2nouna fixed limit or rule that controls how something is done; also a measurable factor
- integrationC2nounthe act of combining things or groups so that they work together as one
- scandalB2nounan event involving dishonest or shocking behavior that makes the public angry
- intervalB1nouna period of time between two events; also a short break in a play or concert
- deferC1verbto delay something until a later time
- carrierC1nouna company that carries passengers or goods, especially an airline; also something that carries a thing
- payoffB2nounthe good result or reward you get for taking a risk or working hard
- ethicalC1adjectiveconnected with what is right and wrong; also, morally right
- publiclyB1adverbin a way that many people can see or hear; also, paid for or owned by the government
- governanceC1nounthe way a country, company or organization is managed and controlled
- contractorC1nounsomeone, or a firm, that another company pays to do a particular job, such as building work
- marketerB2nouna person whose job is to plan how to advertise and sell products or services
- benchmarkC1nouna standard or level used to measure and compare how well something is doing
- rebelB2nouna person who fights against the government or refuses to follow rules or authority
- statuteC1nouna written law passed by a parliament or similar official body
- restructureB2verbto change how a company, debt or system is organized so that it works better
- residualC2adjectiveremaining after most of something has gone or been used
- bubbleB1nouna ball of air or gas inside a liquid, or a thin ball of soap and air
- acceptanceB2nounthe act of agreeing that something is true or right, or of welcoming someone into a group
- expertiseC1nounspecial skill or knowledge gained from training or long experience
- executeB2verbto carry out a plan or task; also to kill someone as an official punishment
- warrantyB1nouna written promise from a company to repair or replace a product if it breaks within a set time
- queryC1verbto ask questions about something, especially because you doubt it; also to search a database
- deemB2verbto consider or judge something to be a particular thing, often officially
- dynamicB2adjectivefull of energy and ideas, or always changing and developing
- defendantC1nounthe person in a court case who is accused of a crime or is being sued
- statisticalC1adjectiverelating to statistics, or to the use of numbers to study data
- graphB1nouna picture that uses lines or bars to show how two sets of numbers are related
- allowanceB2nounan amount of money given regularly for a particular purpose, or the amount you are officially permitted to have
- commerceB2nounthe buying and selling of goods and services, especially on a large scale
- assignmentB1nouna piece of work given to a student or employee as part of their studies or job
- enforceB2verbto make sure that people obey a law or rule
- emissionC1noungas or another substance sent out into the air, or the act of sending it out
- workforceC1nounall the people who work in a company, industry or country
- founderB2nouna person who starts an organization, company or institution
- replacementB2nouna new thing or person that takes the place of another, or the act of replacing
- warrantC1verbto be a good enough reason for something; to deserve or need it
- tenantB2nouna person who pays rent to live in a house or use land or a building
- accumulateB2verbto slowly increase in amount, or to collect more and more of something over time
- diversifyB2verbto add new and different things so that there is more variety, especially in business or investments
- feedbackB2nouncomments about how well or badly someone has done something, given to help them improve
- behalfB2nounused in phrases meaning for someone, or as their representative instead of them
- exploitB2verbto treat someone unfairly for your own benefit; also, to use something fully to gain an advantage
- diagramB1nouna simple drawing that shows how something works or how its parts are arranged
- referendumC1nouna vote in which all citizens answer yes or no to one important question
- indirectB1adjectivenot happening or done in a straight or obvious way; caused by something in a less clear way
- treatyB2nounan official written deal that two or more countries sign and promise to follow
- auctionB2nouna public sale where things go to the person who offers the most money
- sophisticateC2nouna person who knows a lot about fashion, culture and the world, and has refined tastes
- assemblyB2nouna group of people who meet to make laws or decisions; also the process of putting parts together
- costlyB2adjectivecosting a lot of money; also causing serious problems or losses
- commonlyB1adverbusually or by many people
- superiorB2adjectivebetter or of higher quality than something else; also higher in rank
- taxationB2nounthe system by which a government collects money from people and businesses
- certificateB2nounan official paper that proves a fact about you, or that you have passed a course or exam
- shortageB1nouna situation in which there is not enough of something that people need
- technologicalB1adjectiverelating to technology, especially new machines and methods
- multinationalB2adjectiveoperating or involving several countries, especially of a large company
- plaintiffC1nouna person or company that brings a case against someone in a court of law
- prohibitB2verbto officially say that something must not be done or used
- withdrawalB2nountaking money out of a bank; also leaving something, or stopping being involved in it
- tariffC1nouna tax that a government puts on goods coming into or leaving a country
- lobbyC1verbto try to persuade politicians or officials to support a law or decision that helps your group
- shrinkB2verbto become smaller, or to make something smaller, especially clothes after washing
- sharplyB2adverbsuddenly and by a large amount; also in a strong, critical or very clear way
- compensateB2verbto pay someone for a loss or damage; or to balance a bad thing with a good thing
- mergeB2verbto join together to become one, or to make two things join
- operationalC1adjectiveworking and ready to be used; also connected with how a business or machine runs every day
- consolidateC1verbto combine several things into one, or to make something stronger and more secure
- taxableC1adjectivehaving to be paid tax on it, or able to be taxed
- completionB2nounthe act of finishing something, or the point when it is finished
- disadvantagedC1adjectivehaving fewer chances in life than other people because of being poor or facing other problems
- productiveB2adjectivedoing or producing a lot; also giving useful results
Word list: Business Service List 1.2 (Browne & Culligan), CC BY-SA 4.0. Only words with a full Gloss page are included, in the list’s order.