Do you want to improve your business vocabulary? In this blog post, we provide a list of +200 business vocabulary words that are commonly used in English.
Business English is the form of English used in the business world. It is characterized by the use of specific vocabulary and grammar structures.
Table of Contents
A to Z Business Words and Meaning
- Accounting – the process of recording, classifying, and summarizing financial transactions.
- Achievement – something that has been accomplished, such as a goal or target.
- Action plan – a plan of action; a step-by-step guide to achieving a goal.
- Annual report – a document that provides information on a company’s financial performance over the past year.
- Asset – something that has value and can be converted into cash.
- Audit – an examination of a company’s financial statements.
- Balance sheet – a financial statement that shows a company’s assets, liabilities, and equity at a specific point in time.
- Budget – a plan that allocates funds to different expenses over a period of time.
- Business – an organization or enterprise that is engaged in commerce.
- Business model – a plan or structure for generating revenue.
- Competition – the act of vying with others for something, such as market share or customers.
- Cost-benefit analysis – an evaluation of the costs and benefits of a proposed course of action.
- Customer – a person or organization that purchases goods or services from a business.
- Debt – money that is owed by one person or organization to another.
- Deficit – the amount by which spending exceeds revenue.
- Dividend – a portion of a company’s profits that is distributed to shareholders.
- Earnings – the amount of money that a company generates in a period of time.
- Expense – an expenditure, such as for rent or supplies.
- Financial statements – reports that show a company’s financial position, performance, and cash flow.
- Gross margin – the difference between sales and the cost of goods sold.
- Income – money that is received, such as from salaries or investments.
- Investment – the act of putting money into something with the expectation of getting a return.
- Liability – something that a person or organization owes, such as money or a debt.
- Liquidity – the ability of an asset to be converted into cash quickly and without loss of value.
- Market share – the percentage of a market that is controlled by a company.
- Net income – total revenue minus total expenses.
- Operating expenses – costs that are incurred in order to run a business, such as rent or salaries.
- Profit – the excess of revenues over expenses.
- Revenue – money that is generated from sales or other sources.
- Shareholder – a person who owns shares in a company.
- Stock – ownership in a company that can be bought and sold.
- Value proposition – the offer that a company makes to its customers.
- Venture capital – money that is invested in a new or small business.
- Wage – a payment for work, usually calculated by the hour.
- Zombie company – a company that is only able to stay afloat by borrowing money.
Business Vocabulary Words A to Z
Business words with A
| After-hours dealing | Arbitrage |
| Average earnings growth | Annual bonus |
| Actively managed funds | Auditors |
| Annual equivalent rate (AER) | Asset stripping |
| Accounts | Average (arithmetic mean) |
| Allocation rate | Actuary |
| Administration | Annuity |
| Alternative investment market | Annual general meeting (AGM) |
| Annual percentage rate (APR) |
Business words with B
| Buy-to-let mortgage | Base rate |
| Bank of England | British Retail Consortium |
| Bank of England’s inflation report | Blue chip |
| Balance of payments | Broker |
| Buy-out | Bull market |
| Business cycle | Bear market |
| Black swan | Bridging loan |
| Bid-offer spread | Budget |
| Bond | Balance sheet |
| Banker’s draft | Buildings insurance |
Business words with C
| City of London | Capital gains tax |
| Contents insurance | Capital account |
| CAC 40 index | Council tax |
| Commodity | Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply |
| Corporation tax | CBI industrial trends |
| Credit crunch | Competition Commission |
| Capital gain | Corporate raiders |
| Chapter 11 bankruptcy | Credit default swaps |
| Cost-push inflation | Capital ratios – Tier 1 and Tier 2 |
| Collateral | Chartists |
| Chinese walls | Consumer confidence |
| Commercial paper | Confederation of British Industry (CBI) |
| Consumer Prices Index (CPI) | Credit reference agency |
| CDOs | Carry trade |
| Central bank | Current account |
Business words with D
| Dead cat bounce | Derivatives |
| Demand-pull inflation | Diminishing returns |
| Dividend yield | Dow Jones industrial average |
| Defined benefit pension | Deflation |
| Depression | Defined contribution pension |
| Discount mortgage | Demutualisation |
| Day trading | Dividend |
Business words with E
| Ebit | Enterprise value |
| Elasticity | Earnings per share (EPS) |
| European Central Bank | Economies of scale |
| Endowment policy | European Bank for Reconstruction and Development |
| Equity | Externalities |
| Equity derivatives | Ebitda |
| Economic growth | Ethical investment |
Business words with F
| Final salary pension scheme | Foreign exchange (Forex) |
| FTSE 350 | Fiscal policy |
| FTSE 100 index | FTSE4Good |
| FTSE All-Share | Fiscal year |
| Futures | Freehold |
| FTSE SmallCap | FTSE 250 |
| Financial Services Authority | Flexible mortgage |
| Financial year | Fixed costs |
| Fixed-rate mortgage | FTSE TechMARK |
Business words with G
| Gross domestic product (GDP) | Guaranteed annuity rate |
| Ground rent | Gazumping |
| Group of Seven (G7) | Guarantor |
| Golden handshake | Glass-Steagall Act |
| Golden hello | Grey knight |
| Golden share | Greenback |
| Gazundering | Gilts |
| Golden handcuffs | Gearing |
| Golden parachute | Gold |
| Golden rule | Gross national product (GNP) |
| Group of Eight (G8) |
Business words with H
| Hyperinflation | Horizontal merger |
| Home reversion plan | Half year |
| Hostile takeover | House price surveys |
| Hang Seng | Hedge funds |
Business words with I
| Income protection insurance | Income statement |
| Income tax | Independent financial adviser (IFA) |
| Individual savings account (Isa) | Industrial output |
| Inflation | Inflation measures |
| Inheritance tax | Insider trading |
| Institutional investor | Interest-only mortgage |
| Interim | Investment trust |
| Invisible hand | Irrational exuberance |
Business words with J
- Joint account
Business words with K
- Keynesian economics
Business words with L
| Libor rate | Laissez-faire |
| Liquid asset | London Stock Exchange |
| Leveraged buyout | Lloyd’s of London |
| Leasehold | Loan-to-value |
Business words with M
| Managed fund | Monetarism |
| Microeconomics | Margin |
| Mortgage indemnity protection/guarantee | Merger |
| Minimum wage | Mortgage broker |
| Macroeconomics | Monetary policy committee |
| Mortgage term | Mutual |
| Money supply | Manufacturing output |
| Median | Monopoly |
| Mutual fund |
Business words with N
| Negative equity | Nominal interest rate |
| Nasdaq | New York Stock Exchange |
| Nominal values | National Economic Council |
| Net asset value | Non-executive director |
| Nikkei 225 | National insurance |
| Naked short-selling | NIESR |
| National debt |
Business words with O
| Offshore account | Occupational pension scheme |
| Ordinary share | Office for National Statistics (ONS) |
| Operating profit/loss | Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development |
| Old Lady of Threadneedle Street | Open-market operations |
| Ordinary residence | Oligopoly |
| Organisation of petroleum exporting countries (Opec) | Option |
| Office of Fair Trading (OFT) | Overdraft |
Business words with P
| Permanent interest-bearing shares (Pibs) | Profit and loss account |
| Precipice bonds | Pound |
| Poison pill | Public company |
| Primary discount rate | Portfolio |
| Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) | Poverty trap |
| Price to earnings ratio (PE ratio) | Percentage change |
| Preference shares | Profit Participating Deferred Shares |
| Privatisation | Pay As You Earn (PAYE) |
| Producer price index | Profits |
| Purchasing power parity | Preliminary announcement (prelim) |
| Personal loan | Ponzi scheme |
| Premium bonds |
Business words with Q
| Quantity theory of money | Quota |
| Quarterly report | Quantitative easing |
Business words with R
| Recession | Rally |
| Real estate investment trusts | Random walk theory |
| Rights issue | Real interest rate |
| Retail Prices Index (RPI) | Rate of return |
| Royal Mint | Regressive tax |
| Repayment mortgage | Reverse takeover |
| Regulatory News Service (RNS) | Retirement age |
| Ratings agencies | Real values |
Business words with S
| Self-certification mortgage | Square Mile |
| Short selling | Sub-prime loans |
| Share options | Self-select Isa |
| Stamp duty (equities) | Special liquidity scheme |
| Swaps | Share index |
| Stamp duty (housing) | Shareholder |
| Supply and demand | Sonia |
| Security | SIVs |
| Second-lien loan | Stagflation |
| Split capital investment trusts | Securities and Exchange Commission |
| Spot market/spot price | Stock exchange |
| Stakeholder pensions | Standard & Poor’s 500 stock index |
| Stock | Savings account |
| Smith, Adam | Self-invested personal pensions (Sipps) |
| Serious Fraud Office (SFO) | Soft commodities (softs) |
Business words with T
| Term assurance | Takeover |
| Tarp (troubled asset relief programme) | Takeover Panel |
| Tax haven | Treasury |
| Takeover bid | Terminal bonus |
| Trade balance | Tracker funds |
| Turnover | Tangible Common Equity Ratio |
| Teaser rate |
Business words with U
| Underwriter (insurance) | Underwriter (shares) |
| Unquoted shares | Unemployment |
| Unit trust |
Business words with V
| Variable rate mortgage | Volume |
| Value added tax (VAT) | Vertical merger |
| Vulture funds |
Business words with W
| White knight | Wall Street |
| Weighted average | Write down, write off |
| Whole-of-life policy | Windfall tax |
| Without-profits policy |
Business words with Y
- Yield
- Yen carry trade
Business words with Z
- Zombie funds
- Zero interest rates
The following is a list of +200 business vocabulary words that are commonly used in English.
Common Business Vocabulary Words List
| Demand | Offer | Vice-president |
| Headquarters | Overtime | Product |
| Database | Dismiss | Upload |
| Corporate | Down payment | Economical |
| Foreman | Boss | Decrease |
| Niche | Superintendent | Efficiency |
| Packing list | Trade-off | Equipment |
| Feedback | Mouse pad | Deadline |
| Insurance | Order | Prime rate |
| Charge | Commission | Occupation |
| Office | Budget | Risk |
| Trend | Bond | Increase |
| Launch | Log-in | Brand |
| Promotion | Strike | Volume |
| Billboard | Employee | Invest |
| Make redundant | Arbitration | Biannual |
| Dividend | Intern | Credit |
| Laptop | Workspace | Figures |
| Plan | Typewriter | Career |
| Interest rate | Lucrative | Password |
| Currency | Monopoly | Notice |
| Bookkeeping | Cold call | Deal |
| Economy of scale | Employ | Scarcity |
| Typeface | Customer | Director |
| Report | Ads | Merger |
| Part-time | Vacancy | Advertisement |
| Cost | Investment | Labor |
| Loan | Recruit | Tariff |
| Upgrade | Commercial | Mogul |
| Proxy | Sale | Employment |
| Hourly | Hours | Chairman |
| Contract | Stockholder | Wholesaler |
| Capitalist | Clause | Remuneration |
| Work |
Professions & Professional Words
| Commodity | Receipt | Treasury |
| Wholesale | Gross | Proposal |
| Rank | Recruiter | Bonus |
| Distribution | Expenses | Quarterly |
| Money | Salary | Secretary |
| Coupon | Inflation | Shop |
| Management | Manager | Merchandise |
| Saleswoman | Banknote | Motherboard |
| Retailer | Weekly | Manage |
| Statement | Win-win | Debit |
| Job | Pay | Break even |
| Factory | Market | Meeting |
| Board of directors | Finance | Fire |
| Outgoing | Duty | Production |
| Public holidays | Trade | Agreement |
| Framework | Growth | Spreadsheet |
| Online | Perk | Warranty |
| Interest | Lease | Position |
| Shipment | Agenda | Financial |
| Goods | Username | Fax |
| Loss | Service | Accruals |
| Liability | Retire | Sick leave |
| Deficit | Delivery | Goal |
| Interview | Refund | Target |
| Calculate | Copyright | Industry |
| Profitable | Briefcase | Hire |
| Quit | Affordable | Close |
| Freight | High | Import |
| Lend | Retail | Confirmation |
| Principal | Supervisor | Application |
| Buyer | Leave | Temp |
| Purchasing | Shipping | Union |
| Borrow | Business | Notebook |
| Penalty |
Important Business Vocabulary
| Authorization | Bottom line | Petty cash |
| Purchase | Resign | Shareholder |
| Venture | Client | Low |
| Tax | Wastebasket | Advantage |
| Economics | Net | Presentation |
| Buy | Credit card | Negotiation |
| Supply | Diversify | Headhunter |
| Unsocial hours | Consumer | Mailbox |
| Salesman | Guarantee | Sign |
| Vacation time | Output | Policy |
| Rise | Stock | Annual |
| Estimate | No-win | Debt |
| Full-time | Owner | Capital |
| Employer | Invoice | Experience |
| Facility | Fund | Advertise |
| Business card | Corporation | Sell |
| Collateral | Department | Support |
| Unit cost | Entrepreneur | Monthly |
| Workroom | Offline | Overdraft |
| Partner | Staff | Benefits |
| Company | Corner office | Yield |
| Competition | Export | Facilities |
| Personnel | Profit | Terms |
| Trademark | Transaction | Disadvantage |
| Income | Overhead | Portfolio |
| Bill of lading | Costs | Discount |
| Download | Inventory | Lead |
| Letterhead | Paperweight | President |
| Quarter | Withdraw | Duties |
| Guidebook | Network | Price |
| Compromise | Co-worker | Merchant |
| Accounting | Income tax | Maternity leave |
| Prospects | Incentive | Purchase order |
| Signature |
20 Important Business Vocabulary Words and Example Sentences
1. Leverage: To use a small amount of something to gain an advantage.
- The company leveraged its resources to create new opportunities.
2. Initiative: A plan or action intended to solve a problem.
- The CEO proposed an initiative to increase profits.
3. Revenue: Money earned by a company from its normal business activities.
- The company’s annual revenue was reported as $40 million.
4. Capital: Money used for investment in order to make a profit.
- Our venture capital firm invests in start-ups with great potential.
5. Profit: The amount of money that remains after all expenses have been paid.
The company earned a profit of $1 million last year.
6. Contingency: A plan for dealing with potential problems in the future.
The CEO proposed setting aside funds for a contingency plan.
7. Expansion: The process of increasing the size, influence, or capabilities of something.
The company is planning an expansion into new markets.
8. Profit margin: The percentage of revenue remaining after expenses are deducted.
- The profit margin for the quarter was 7%.
9. Restructuring: A process that involves changing the way a business or organization is organized and operated.
- The company underwent restructuring to become more efficient.
10. Forecast: An estimation of future events or conditions.
The company’s quarterly forecast was positive.
11. Acquisition: The purchase of one company by another.
The acquisition will allow the company to expand its market share.
12. Merger: The combining of two companies into one entity.
- The merger will create a larger, more competitive company.
13. Brand: A name, term, design, symbol or other feature that identifies the products of a business and makes them distinct from others.
- The company is looking to strengthen its brand recognition.
14. Optimize: To make something as good or effective as possible.
- The company is looking to optimize its production process.
15. Outsource: The practice of hiring outside contractors or firms to do tasks that would traditionally be done in-house.
- The company has outsourced its customer service operations to a third-party provider.
16. Diversify: The process of expanding into new areas or markets.
- The company is looking to diversify its product offerings.
17. Prospect: A potential customer or client.
- The sales team is targeting new prospects to expand the business.
18. Portfolio: A collection of investments, products or services offered by a company.
- The company has an extensive portfolio of products and services.
19. Market share: The proportion of total sales in a market that is gained by a particular company.
- The company’s market share has increased by 5% this quarter.
20. Innovation: The introduction of new ideas, processes or products.
- The company is always looking for ways to innovate and stay ahead of the competition.
Business Words (Infographics)
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