Vocabulary word and business

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Last updated:

April 7, 2023

Step Up Your Business English Vocabulary with 25 Advanced Words and Phrases

As you know, English is fast becoming a requirement for anyone to work, communicate and compete in the international market.

Before we get to the list of 25 very important business English words, here are some simple tips to help you add these new words to your everyday vocabulary.

Contents

• Tips for Improving Your Business English Vocabulary Quickly
• • 1. Read and watch business news
  • 2. Set a target to learn new words every day
  • 3. Use the words you’ve learned
• 25 Advanced Business English Words You Need in Your Vocabulary Right Now
• • 1. Organize
  • 2. Guidance
  • 3. Expand
  • 4. Clause
  • 5. Null and void
  • 6. Competitor
  • 7. Invoice
  • 8. Counteroffer
  • 9. Trademark
  • 10. Consensus
  • 11. Public relations
  • 12. Agenda
  • 13. Visual aids
  • 14. After-sales service
  • 15. Strategy
  • 16. Estimate
  • 17. Equipment
  • 18. Branch
  • 19. Dress code
  • 20. Guarantee
  • 21. Market research
  • 22. Authorization
  • 23. Penalty
  • 24. Headquarters
  • 25. Commercial

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Tips for Improving Your Business English Vocabulary Quickly

1. Read and watch business news

Improving your business vocabulary takes more than just learning new words. You need to find out how they’re used. The fastest way for an advanced learner like you to do that is to read and watch business news often. One easy way to start keeping up with the latest business news is to subscribe to The New York Times and try to read at least one article every day. Their Business Day section includes articles on a wide variety of business topics, and covers both U.S. and international business news. If you want to focus more on business news that’s relevant to your particular job or field, see if you can find something that fits your needs on Magazine Line. If you live in the U.S., this site can save you a lot of money on magazine subscriptions, and you can find magazines that cover the latest news in all kinds of fields.

2. Set a target to learn new words every day

You can pick up new business words all around you. Sometimes it’s as simple as talking to people or reading news sites. But don’t stop there. To learn business English vocabulary more quickly, set yourself a target to learn as many new words as you can every day. One popular study option many learners like is to use flashcards or flashcard apps.

An app like Quizlet makes it easy to create your own flashcards and sort them into decks, and you can even share your decks with others and search for existing ones.

A more complete learning program like FluentU can take this a step further by letting you turn any word from the program’s video library into a flashcard. Videos are authentic, which means they’re made by and for native English speakers, and include business-related options like speeches, news segments, close looks at specific careers, tips for business owners and more.

FluentU has a streak tracker to encourage you to keep your learning going. It also has flashcards with example sentences and videos, and exercises designed to help you memorize vocabulary words for contextual learning.

You can go online to find existing sets of business vocabulary flashcards or templates to make your own flashcards. Even learning four or five new words a day can make a big difference over time! 

3. Use the words you’ve learned

Learning new vocabulary is a good thing. But what’s more important is learning how and where to use these words. To do that, you need to actually use these words in your daily work. Apply them to different situations and contexts until you’re comfortable using them.

OK, let’s move on now to the 25 advanced business English words I have for you today. Many of these words have general meanings, but in this post, I’ll only be discussing them in the business context. Are you ready to get started?

1. Organize

The verb to organize means to arrange something in an orderly way (such as reports or products) or to plan for a certain function (such as business meetings or events). Sample sentence:

Our sales and marketing team will organize the upcoming Annual Sales Convention in Las Vegas.

2. Guidance

The noun guidance comes from the verb to guide, which means to direct or lead the way. Therefore, guidance refers to the act of giving direction or help. Sample sentence:

Martha, our manager, tells us we can go to her for guidance any time.

3. Expand

The verb to expand means to increase the size or amount of something. In business, we often talk about expanding a department or a business. Sample sentence:

I hear that your company plans to expand to Europe and China next year.

4. Clause

In business law, the noun clause refers to a statement or term in the contract. Sample sentence:

Our legal team has raised some questions about a couple of clauses in the contract.

5. Null and void

The phrase null and void refers to a contract or clause that’s invalid, non-binding or which has no legal force. Sample sentence:

Our lease will become null and void in 30 days if we don’t renew it now.

6. Competitor

The noun competitor refers to another business that is trying to perform better than your business and others in the same market. You can also refer to all of your competitors as the competition. Sample sentence:

Management is concerned about the number of new competitors entering the market this year.

7. Invoice

The noun invoice refers to an itemized bill showing the list of goods sold or services provided, their prices and the total amount to be paid. Sample sentence:

Don’t forget that we need to pay within 45 days of receiving the invoice.

8. Counteroffer

A counter offer is an offer you make in response to an offer made by another party. If you’re unhappy with an offer someone has made to you, you may make a counter offer. Sample sentence:

John offered to sell me his used car for $15,000. It’s a nice car but that’s a little too expensive. So I’m going to make him a counter offer.

9. Trademark

The noun trademark refers to an officially registered name, symbol or logo used to represent a product or firm. Trademark can also be used as a verb. It’s similar in some ways to a copyright or a patent, but not quite the same. Sample sentence:

One of the most famous trademarks in the world today is the “Golden Arches,” the symbol of McDonald’s.

10. Consensus

The noun consensus refers to an idea or opinion that’s been agreed on by everyone. Sample sentence:

After a four-hour meeting, the committee still couldn’t come to a consensus, so they’ll be meeting again next week.

11. Public relations

Public relations refers to the activities used to promote and create a good public image of your company so that people will view it in a positive way. It’s also common to use the abbreviation PR. Sample sentence:

I feel that sponsoring the Fitness For All program will be an excellent public relations move.

12. Agenda

The noun agenda refers to a list of things to be discussed or done at a meeting or business event. Sample sentence:

Are you sure we can cover everything on today’s agenda in 2 hours?

13. Visual aids

Visual aids are things like charts, pictures, maps, etc. that make it easier for your audience to understand something. You commonly use visual aids if you’re giving a presentation or when you’re in a meeting. Sample sentence:

Your visual aids really helped me get a better picture of this complex construction project.

14. After-sales service

After-sales service refers to the service, such as maintenance and repairs, that you continue to provide after your customer buys your product or service. Sample sentence:

Our company’s after-sales service is considered one of the best in the electronics market.

15. Strategy

The noun strategy in business refers to a plan that’s been carefully put together to achieve a certain goal. Sample sentence:

Our corporate department is developing a strategy to place our company at the top of the tourism industry.

16. Estimate

The noun estimate refers to a general idea about the value, size or cost of something based on a rough calculation. Estimate can also be used as a verb, but the pronunciation is a bit different; click here to hear the differences. Sample sentence:

The finance team is requesting estimates from several information technology companies to get an idea of the project cost.

17. Equipment

The noun equipment is used to talk about a set of tools or devices you need for a special purpose. For instance, office equipment may include photocopiers, cabinets, etc. Sample sentence:

My manager thinks we should sell off the unused office equipment to create more space.

18. Branch

The noun branch refers to the local office or shop of a company. Sample sentence:

Our bank will be opening many new branches in smaller cities next year.

19. Dress code

The phrase dress code refers to a set of company rules about what clothing may and may not be worn at work. By the way, if you want to do business internationally, it’s definitely a good idea to do some research about the dress codes (both for business and informal situations) for the country you’ll be working in. It may be very formal or strict compared to your home country—and some rules may surprise you! It’s also a good idea to check out some pictures to see what business dress looks like in English-speaking countries, as well as clothing tips for all kinds of situations in countries all over the world. Sample sentence:

Our company has a strict dress code that requires all customer service staff to wear a suit.

20. Guarantee

The verb to guarantee means to make an assurance, usually in written form, of the quality of your product or service. The noun guarantee refers to the assurance itself. If the guarantee also involves a physical document, that document is often called a warranty. Sample sentence:

Don’t worry, all our products come with a guarantee against major defects.

21. Market research

The phrase market research refers to the research you do to collect information about what your customers need or prefer in a certain product or service. Sample sentence:

New market research shows that food manufacturing is one of our country’s top income earners.

22. Authorization

The noun authorization comes from the verb to authorize, which means to give someone the legal or official approval to do something. Authorization refers to the approval itself. Sample sentence:

A manager’s authorization is required for refunds over $500.

23. Penalty

The noun penalty refers to an official punishment, usually through a fine or other payment, for breaking a contract. Sample sentence:

If you don’t pay your suppliers on time, there will be a penalty of 15%.

24. Headquarters

The noun headquarters refers to the head office where a company is controlled or managed from. It can be used with a singular or plural verb. Sample sentence:

Apple’s new headquarters in Silicon Valley cost around $5 billion to build!

25. Commercial

The noun commercial refers to a paid advertisement on radio or TV. Sample sentence:

Our marketing department has a brilliant idea for our next Super Bowl commercial.

  Remember, if you want to master this advanced business English vocabulary, you need to practice using the words in your daily work. Apply the tips I mentioned and you’ll soon be adding even more new advanced vocabulary to what you’ve just learned here. Keep up your good work!

Download:
This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you
can take anywhere.
Click here to get a copy. (Download)