Business English Dictionary: 30 business vocabulary words

Today, knowledge of business English vocabulary is not always a competitive advantage. Now it is a mandatory skill, without which it is hardly possible to establish communication not only in international, but sometimes even in business relations within the country, because a lot of vocabulary has moved into our language from English as independent words.

In addition, without an understanding of business English, the possibility of learning becomes much more difficult, since most of the relevant information is presented today in English. It is the availability of up-to-date knowledge in this or that sphere and mastering certain skills faster than others that defines a modern in-demand specialist, and in some spheres it may be the only competitive advantage that enables career growth.

Many people think that learning English in business is the second step after learning the language itself. That is, without an excellent knowledge of spoken English at an above-average level, it is not worth starting to study certain areas. In fact, this is not the case at all.

Of course, an excellent knowledge of English will help you learn business English vocabulary much faster and build the right conversational skills to work in a business environment. This will give you significant advantages. But even if you have a basic level of English, learning business English will not be a big challenge for you. Of course, it will be difficult to speak with colleagues or partners, but you will be able to perfectly understand the context and the exact meaning of words, which is what you most often need from a specialist, because most of the communication is built through business correspondence. 

This article will be useful for everyone: advanced native speakers and beginners alike. We have also highlighted a vocabulary of 30 words and expressions that will form your vocabulary base and help you in negotiations, meetings, written correspondence and everyday communication.

Top business words and expressions. Terminology for successful negotiations in English

As mentioned above, excellent knowledge of English and a high understanding of context are essential for full communication in a business environment, but there are business English words and expressions that have a dual meaning and should be learnt first. These terminologies refer to specific subjects or phenomena. They may well be called international - if you use the terms in this dictionary, you will be understood in any field of business.

1. As of yet.

A minor grammatical paradox which, however, is not an error when used in context. Means "at the present moment." It is a formal expression.

2. At the end of the day.

A trap expression that means something very different from what you might think. It has nothing to do with marking the end of the day. It's an informal phrase for business English, but it's used quite often outside of it as well, meaning "at the end of the day". Example: "At the end of the day, we did the best we could in this task."

3. Action points. 

Talks about "action points", i.e. the manipulations that need to be done to achieve a certain result. Usually used at the end of a meeting or business letter, indicating that the person has analysed the information and knows how to solve the problem at hand.

4. To action/Actionable.

Interesting use of a noun in verb form. It suggests that now is a great time to do something and that everything is ready for it. "That's a good idea. I am going to action that task tomorrow."

5. Back to the drawing board. 

A rather literal expression that indicates the need to go back to the drawing board. It usually indicates a need to "erase and start over", i.e. to start planning and developing a project from scratch. You can also say "go back to the drawing board", which would indicate a request to work on the project more thoroughly. 

6. Cut corners.

To cut corners - to do a job negligently, afterthought. Usually used in a negative context, as it indicates the consequences of negligent work.

7. Call it a day.

Make a point. In anything: a project, a conversation, a working day. It can be used both in a positive context, i.e. I have finished this project and am putting an end to it, and in a not so positive context, when you have reached a psychological limit and can no longer perform the task. 

8. Drill down into.

Literally, drill down inside. To go deeper into a project, to immerse oneself more deeply in its study. 

9. Forward planning.

A kind of "forward planning". An expanded form of simply "planning", used more for expressive purposes. It signifies serious and long-term intentions of the one who says it.

10. Align.

Alignment, derived from "alignment". An important term in business English, as it is often used to understand that all company structures are doing the same job correctly and in a consistent manner. 

11. Go the extra mile.

Sometimes the meaning of this expression is confused with extra work. However, it actually means the following: to make more effort to exceed the plan and get a better result. If you hear a phrase like this in your address, it means that you are praised as a specialist.

12. Down the line.

A more informal expression that speaks of performing an action "sometime later". Means that the action can and will be performed, but the time frame for this is unclear because there are no definite conditions. For example: "Looking at our current partnership, we see potential for scaling the project further. Implementing new technologies and expanding our product range might become relevant a few years down the line". The translation here is that the partnership is valued and has a place, but scaling it up is not relevant at the moment. However, as soon as new opportunities open up for it, it will be fulfilled.

13. Going forward.

It speaks of some action that will begin now and continue for some indefinite time. It often has no informative component, but it is an important part of formal constructions. An analogue of our "in the future".Usually used in the context of denoting co-operation, growth or, on the contrary, financial problems. "Going forward, our main focus will be on sustainable growth and innovation to meet the evolving needs of our clients" - going forward, our main focus will be on sustainable growth and innovation to meet the evolving needs of our clients.

14. Let go.

It speaks of being fired. It is considered a mild form of "fired", but the meaning is the same.

15. Close of play.

The phrase is directly taken from sport and signifies the end of a working day, less often the end of a task. 

16. Workflow.

A phrase that defines the current workload of an employee, both the type of tasks and their volume and complexity. For example, the question "how is your workflow?" means that the person who asks it is interested in the current workload and current tasks in general, because in some companies it is not customary to answer more specific questions. "Workflow issues" in this context defines a person's work problems that have arisen because of the complexity of tasks and the workflow workload. 

17. Touch base.

Another expression from the world of sport. It means a brief discussion (usually about work issues) or a request to keep informed about a matter. "Let's touch base next week to review the project progress and align on our next steps." Translation - "Let's meet early next week to review the project progress and align on our next steps".

18. Reach out.

Literally means a physical action (reaching out), but actually implies entering into business contact with a person. "I will reach out to the marketing team to discuss our upcoming campaign and gather their insights.

19. Keep me in the loop.

"Keep me (her/him/them/them) in the loop" - to keep someone directly in the loop. This is usually said when asking to be added to a work chat room, email chain, etc. That is, a request to be privy to all the details of a project or situation.

20. Proactive.

Used in both formal and informal communication within the office. To be "proactive" means to show your work or social initiative.

21. Cut to the chase.

A phrase that denotes a call to get straight to the point. "We have limited time for this meeting, so let's cut to the chase and discuss the main issues at hand" - we have limited time for this meeting, so let's cut to the chase and discuss the main issues at hand.

22. Get the ball rolling.

To get the ball rolling - intuitively, this means "to get things moving". Usually refers to the accomplishment of difficult tasks that have been difficult to work on.

23. Stay ahead of the curve.

It means to be more advanced in something than others, to offer more functionality. But more than that, it still means offering something that others don't have at all and keeping the bar of success. In other words, to be at the top of all charts. 

24. Due diligence.

More recently, this legal term has been used to write business sentences in English, but has a slightly different meaning. Whereas in law it described actions to do or not to do in order not to break the law, in business English it means to do some important research in order to make the right decision. That is, performing "due diligence" means that you have given the problem enough attention and are prepared to make the best possible decision to do it.

25. Best practice.

This is about the best method or set of actions to perform a particular task. Usually these are quite specific things that are specified in handbooks, job descriptions and recommended to all employees.

26. Upskill.

It is considered to be a new meaning of the word "training" - to train, to improve skills. "To stay competitive in the market, our team will need to upskill by participating in advanced training programmes and workshops" - to stay competitive in the market, our team will need to improve skills by participating in advanced training programmes and workshops.

27. Dynamic.

A rather polysemous word that means dynamic, interesting, fast-paced, exciting, new. It is usually used in context with other adjectives and has its own meaning. For example, "Our company operates in a dynamic industry where trends change rapidly, and we must adapt quickly to stay ahead of the competition" - here it says that the company must constantly develop for its competitiveness, but in the sentence "We are excited to introduce our dynamic new product line, which features innovative designs and cutting-edge technology to meet the needs of modern consumers" the word "dynamic" is already used as an adjective describing the positive aspects of the product.

28. Streamline.

The positive meaning of the above-mentioned phrase "cut corners". It means to simplify the process, but already getting rid of unnecessary work. However, not everything is so simple. The word "streamlining" used in relation to you or your team is a hint that some minor employees are somewhat redundant and will soon be "learning" point 14.

29. Expedite.

Often taken by novices to mean "to explore", but actually means "to speed up". Usually refers to the performance of some immediate task.

30. Micromanage.

Again, many newcomers perceive it positively: micromanagement is good! However, in business English, the word is used in a negative context. Usually it means that the boss's management style is too "toxic" and instead of doing his/her direct duties to control task fulfilment, he/she keeps track of unnecessary details and intrudes into the personal space of employees.

Now you know some interesting expressions in business English. You also know that you should not immediately interpret the words as you think they mean, so that you don't get into trouble.

A dictionary of the best business words and expressions for successful negotiations in English

There are quite a lot of unique phrases and words that help to build communication in business English, and they can vary depending on the context. We will highlight those that occur in perhaps 90% of all business letters.

• Agenda. A list of top issues, the topic of the day, meeting, call, agenda for discussion at a meeting or event.
• Assets. Tangible and intangible resources of the company.
• Benchmark. Sample. Usually refers to some company that represents the best products on the market in its industry.
• Brief. A brief is literally a summary of basic information, an introduction to the business.
• Bottom line. End result. Usually implied in the context of profit/loss calculation.
• Deadline. Task Deadline.
• Entrepreneur. A start-up, an entrepreneur. Someone who starts a business.
• Growth hacking. Unusual ways of company development that go beyond standard solutions.
• KPI (Key Performance Indicator). An indicator of the effectiveness of an employee, system, programme. Can consist of different values for different industries.
• Stakeholders. All those who are related to the project in one way or another: management, customers.
• Leverage. To leverage - resort to various third-party resources and solutions to accomplish a task and gain benefits.
• Networking. A place or meeting where business contacts are exchanged.
• Outsource. Transferring entrusted tasks to third-party performers.
• Pitch. A very brief presentation of the idea, describing the general concept without details.
• ROI (Return on Investment). A measure of profitability, the ratio of investment to profit.
• Scalability. The ability of a company to expand without losing customer service or product quality.
• USP (Unique Selling Proposition). A unique selling proposition that differentiates a product from its competitors.
• Win-win. A win-win situation for all parties to the transaction.

It is highly recommended that if you find a word in your correspondence that you are not 100% sure of, especially when used in a certain context, check its meaning in every possible way. It is better to clarify the meaning with your interlocutor during a conversation.

How to use business vocabulary to communicate effectively

You should not think that not lacking office vocabulary in English will mark you as an ignorant interlocutor. The main thing is that you should convey your thoughts clearly and the facts you present should not be interpreted ambiguously. Let the words from the office vocabulary themselves begin to come into your head as you learn English. The main thing is to observe formalities and business tone. Business ethics above all else.

Business English phrases for meetings and presentations

If you are just starting to learn business English, you will first of all need basic phrases that will help you to introduce yourself and make a presentation, in addition to the standard greetings. Write down these business English words and phrases:

• Thank you all for joining today. Thank all of you for joining today as a greeting.
• Let's go over the agenda. After these words, state the purpose of the meeting and summarise the agenda.
• I'd like to highlight the key points. Use this phrase when you want to emphasise a certain point and focus on it.
• Do you have any questions or comments? Remember to periodically ask your interlocutor(s) what questions and comments they have.
• Let's take a moment to discuss. Reluctantly switch the conversation to another topic.
• Can we circle back to that later? Invite the audience to talk about something you are not yet ready to talk about later.
• Let's set a follow-up meeting. You can immediately set a follow-up meeting to discuss a point.
• Can you elaborate on that? Ask the person you are talking to to explain what he or she is saying or thinking.
• Let's break this down into smaller parts. Suggest breaking the topic down into smaller parts and breaking them down individually.
• Let's take a quick poll. Offer to take a quick poll among the participants.
• How does that align with our goals? You are interested in whether a point is in line with your interlocutor's (company's) goals and vision.
• Let's not lose sight of the main objective. If the conversation during the meeting has taken a wrong turn, you can gently bring it back.
• I'll follow up on that after the meeting. Says that you will provide the requested information immediately after the meeting.
• We need to reach a consensus. You say that in this case it is important that all participants in the meeting reach a certain agreement.
• Thank you for your valuable contributions. Thank everyone for listening and communicating with you.

In any case, the topic of the talk will be you or your project, so the main focus is on the most favourable presentation and proper development of your idea to the listeners.

Business slang in English: key differences from ordinary English

Instead of concluding, I would like to talk a little bit about how business terminology in English differs from ordinary, colloquial terminology. The main differences here are the presence of vocabulary that denotes certain phenomena or things that are only found in a business environment. However, in the same way, this speech has relatively informal phrases to denote anything, and which are often taken from colloquial language. Business English is therefore a kind of slang, words that are often seen as a departure from the norms of standard language. This is confirmed by the fact that many of the business english expressions are even grammatically incorrect, but have become commonplace.

Another point worth noting is that business English is often confused with professional language in various branches of activity and industry. It should be realised that business English is a vocabulary used in an office environment, so the use of most words is not mandatory, but rather recommended. Do not be afraid to call things in simple words if you are not sure that you are using slang denotations correctly. The main thing is to express your thoughts in business conversation in English clearly, concisely and with respect for the interlocutor. Good luck with your studies!