Vocabulary list for Business English learners (A - C)

Business English - Vocabulary List

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

Many business people now write in their out-of-office emails that they’re on “annual leave”. This simply means that they are on holiday.

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 balance sheet details the company accounts at a certain point in time (often the end of the financial year). It lists the values of the company’s assets (things belonging to it), liabilities (what it owes) and equity.

You might hear colleagues referring to industry “best practice”, which describes a generally acknowledged ‘best way of doing things’ in order to achieve optimum results.

“Brand” is the term given to a company’s name and the recognisable attributes that go with that company, which define its identity. The company’s tone of voice and design of communications encompass "brand identity".

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 also the verb.

A business plan is, as the name suggests, a document used to outline plans for a business, setting out growth goals for the next three to five years, and identifying information needed to achieve those goals.

This term refers to the idea of gaining acceptance for something. If someone agrees to subscribe to a particular way of doing things, for example, they are “buying in” to the idea.

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

This is a phone call, usually from a sales representative of a company, to a potential customer/client who is not expecting the call and with whom there has been no previous contact, intending to try to sell something.

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

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

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.

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

A counteroffer is an offer you make in response to an offer made by another party or group. If you’re unhappy with an offer someone has made to you, you may make a counteroffer.

This bewildering phrase refers to the strengths of a person or company. The word “competent” doesn’t even refer to strength – it means the ability to do something to a satisfactory standard.