50 Essential Business English Vocabulary Words

If you want to work in the international market, English is one language that you’ll likely need to know.

So here are 50 important business English words that you are very likely to come across, from business administration vocabulary to PR and more.

Many of these words have general meanings, so I’ll focus on discussing them in the business context. Plus, I’ll be giving you an example sentence with each new word.

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1. Acquisition

The noun acquisition refers to the act of buying a resource or company. That resource or company is then considered to be owned by the buyer.

The acquisition of this studio is part of our plan to increase our yearly profit.

2. After-sales service

After-sales service refers to the help that you continue to provide after your customer buys your product or service. This can include maintenance and repairs.

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

3. Agenda

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

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

4. Asset

The noun asset refers to anything owned by a company that has value. An asset can used to describe a product, a person or a company.

Thank you for all your work, you’re a huge asset to the company.

5. 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. 

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

6. Bargain

The noun bargain means an agreed-upon deal made between two parties (usually, the customer and the seller). There is also the verb to bargain.

This 2-for-1 deal is a great bargain.

7. Branch

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

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

8. Budget

The noun budget refers to a financial plan that shows the revenues and expenses for a specific period of time. It helps in managing and controlling spending. To budget is the verb.

We need to create a budget for the upcoming year.

9. Clause

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

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

10. Collaboration

The noun collaboration refers to the process of working together with others to achieve a common goal or complete a task. It involves sharing ideas, resources and responsibilities. You can also use the verb to collaborate.

The collaboration between the marketing and design teams resulted in a successful product launch.

11. Commercial

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

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

12. 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. 

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

13. Consensus

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

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

14. Counteroffer

A counteroffer is an offer you make in response to an offer made by another party or group. This can happen if you’re unhappy with an offer someone has made to you or if you want to change something about it.

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 counteroffer.

15. Deadline

The noun deadline refers to a certain date by which something should be completed or accomplished. This can be a short-term or long-term assignment or goal.

Our deadline for this project is coming up, so we’ll need to hurry.

16. Dress code

The phrase dress code refers to a set of company rules about what clothing may and may not be worn at work. If you want to do business internationally, it’s definitely a good idea to do some research about the dress codes for the country you’ll be working in. 

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

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. 

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

18. Estimate

The noun estimate refers to a general idea about the value, size or cost of something based on a rough calculation. To estimate can also be used as a verb, but the pronunciation is a bit different.

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

19. 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. The noun for this word is expansion. 

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

20. Guarantee

The verb to guarantee means to promise or commit, usually in written form, 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. 

We guarantee that our products will last decades.

21. 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. 

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

22. Headquarters (HQ)

The noun headquarters (HQ) refers to the main or head office where a company is controlled or managed from.

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

23. Implement

The verb implement means to put into action or to carry out a plan, decision, or system. It is taking the necessary steps to make something happen or to make a plan effective.

Our team will implement the new marketing strategy to boost sales.

24. Innovation

The noun innovation refers to the process of introducing new ideas, methods or products that create value and create positive change in a business or industry. There is also the verb to innovate. 

Continuous innovation is key to staying ahead of the competition in the fast-paced tech sector.

25. Investment

The noun investment is the act of putting money or resources into a project or business with the expectation of making a profit. You can also use it as the verb to invest. 

We are looking for investments and funding for our startup.

26. 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. 

Don’t forget! We need to pay within 45 days of receiving the invoice.

27. Liability

The noun liability refers to a debt or what’s owed to someone else.

The company needs to settle all its current liabilities before it spends any more money.

28. Market research

The phrase market research refers to the studies you do to learn about what your customers need or prefer in a certain product or service. Through market research, you can see changes about your customers over time.

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

29. Micromanage

To micromanage means to watch over or control much of a work environment or department. Micromanagement is usually seen as a bad practice that can upset employees and lower productivity.

Deborah keeps micromanaging our team and it’s making our work even harder.

30. Negotiation

Similar to the word bargain, the noun negotiation is the process of discussing and reaching an agreement between parties who have different interests or opinions. The verb for this one is to negotiate. 

Successful negotiations with the suppliers resulted in significant cost savings for our company.

31. Networking

Networking is the act of creating professional relationships, especially for the purpose of exchanging information, contacts and business opportunities. Today, networking can be done easily online. You can also use the verb to network. 

Attending industry conferences provides great networking opportunities to expand your professional connections.

32. 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. If a contract becomes null and void, then it is basically canceled.

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

33. Onboarding

Onboarding is the practice of preparing a new employee for their role and tasks. The employee is shown and taught the must-know basics of working for the company.

Onboarding will start a week after you officially accept the job offer and sign the contract.

34. Outsourcing

Outsourcing is the practice of hiring a third-party company or individual to perform certain tasks or services for your company. The verb for this word is to outsource. Outsourcing is a major way to get into the international market.

Our company decided to outsource our customer support services to a specialized call center.

35. Partnership

The word partner refers to a friend or someone who works with you. So the noun partnership refers to a business arrangement in which two or more individuals or companies work together. They share the profits and losses of a business project.

We are considering a partnership with a local supplier to expand our product line.

36. Penalty

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

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

37. Productivity

The noun productivity refers to how efficiently and effectively work is being accomplished. Productivity is usually described as either low or high.

Implementing better processes increased the productivity of our manufacturing plant.

38. Profitability

Profitability refers to a business’s or investment’s ability to generate profit or financial gain. Profit is a noun on its own, to profit is also the verb. 

We need to analyze the profitability of our new product line.

39. Public relations (PR)

Public relations (PR) refers to the activities that promote and create a good public image of your company so that people will view it in a positive way.

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

40. Quarter

Quarter refers to a roughly three-month period of a year in which business is done. Most companies break the year into four quarters: Q1, Q2, Q3 and Q4. At the end of a quarter, a company usually makes reports on how they are doing and what should be done next.

By the next quarter, we should aim for at least a 3% increase in profit.

41. Recruitment

The noun recruitment, from the verb to recruit, refers to the process of finding and hiring qualified individuals to fill job positions within an organization. 

The HR department is actively engaged in recruitment efforts to attract top talent for our company.

42. Return on Investment (ROI)

Return on Investment (ROI) is how businesses measure the profitability or efficiency of an investment by comparing the gain or loss to the cost of the investment.

Our marketing campaign resulted in an increase in sales, providing a high return on investment.

43. Revenue

The noun revenue refers to the income or earnings a company makes from its business activities, such as sales of products or services.

The company experienced a significant increase in revenue after implementing a new marketing strategy.

44. Risk

The noun risk describes the possible loss or danger of carrying out an activity. Before making any big business decision, risk is always measured.

This investment can be a huge financial risk, so think carefully.

45. Sales pitch

A sales pitch is a convincing presentation of a product that describes its usefulness and appeal. It’s meant to interest customers or investors.

A good, easy-to-understand sales pitch is what will get us the funding.

46. Stakeholder

The noun stakeholder refers to any individual or group that has an interest, involvement or influence in a project or organization. This can include shareholders, employees, customers and the local community.

We conducted a stakeholder analysis to identify key parties affected by our proposed expansion.

47. Strategy

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

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

48. Target audience

The phrase target audience refers to the specific group of people or customers at whom a product, advertisement or message is aimed. It’s the group that will mostly like see or buy the product. 

The marketing team conducted market research to identify the target audience for our new fashion line.

49. 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. 

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

50. 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. 

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

Tips for Improving Your Business English Vocabulary Quickly

Remember that many of these words can have slightly different meanings when used in non-business situations.

To study up and memorize on any business English words you learn, you should:

• Read and watch business news. One easy way to do this is to subscribe to a publication like the New York Times and try to read at least one article every day. Their business section includes articles on a wide variety of business topics, and covers both U.S. and international business news. 
• Set a target to learn new words 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.

• Learn through authentic content. On the language learning program FluentU, videos are 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. You can watch the videos and then use the interactive subtitles for definitions, make flashcards and take personalized quizzes.
• Read resumes and cover letters. Online, you can find many examples of pre-made resumes and cover letters written by real people. As a general rule, these documents focus on using professional, business-related nouns and adjectives to make a candidate interesting to the hiring team.
• Check out company websites. Companies promoting a service (like a research or technology-based firm) will almost always have their own official website. You can guarantee that much of the text on that website will sound very professional.
• Use the words you’ve learned in real life. 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.

 

Business English can be a bit like its own language, but with enough practice and learning, you’ll understand it in no time.

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)