Business English Vocabulary Terms Every Pro Should Know

Communication is truly high stakes in boardroom meetings and on client calls. Clear and effective communication is the blueprint for a successful deal, and there's little margin for errors.

Yet, many professionals struggle to express complex ideas or align with their global peers simply because they lack the right business English vocabulary. The solution? Mastering more essential business English expressions that convey authority, clarity, and confidence.

This article breaks down the must-know office vocabulary every pro should use to thrive in professional settings and make their voice heard where it matters most.

Key takeaways

As you continue to read the article, here are the key takeaways you can expect:

• A summary of how Business English vocabulary is crucial for professional communication.
• A list of 60 business words, phrases, and expressions, categorized into everyday terms, finance & investment terms, marketing & sales terms, project management vocabulary, HR & workplace culture phrases, and communication & collaboration terms.

• Helpful tips on learning business vocabulary in context and practicing actively.

The basics of business English vocabulary

Advanced business English vocabulary serves as a cornerstone in professional communication, offering a structured and unambiguous lexicon that differentiates itself distinctly from everyday language.

Furthermore, adopting corporate vocabulary in business contexts isn’t merely a stylistic choice. Ita fundamental aspect of your professional credibility.

Top 60 business English words, phrases, and expressions

We’ve selected 60 business words, phrases, and expressions you can practice in different professional contexts and scenarios.

Everyday business terms

These business phrases are often used in professional settings to convey complex ideas quickly and clearly.

ASAP (As Soon As Possible)

This expression is used to express urgency or the need for immediate action. E.g. "I need to submit the report ASAP so we can review it before tomorrow's meeting."

Backburner

To temporarily set aside a task or project, often because it's not a priority. E.g. "We've decided to put this project on the back burner for now and revisit it next quarter."

Balls in the air

“Balls in the air” describes juggling multiple tasks or responsibilities simultaneously.

e.g.: “With the deadline looming and several meetings lined up, I’ve got a lot of balls in the air this week.”

Too much on my plate

This expression refers to feeling overwhelmed with too many tasks or responsibilities.

e.g.: “I’d love to help, but I already have too much on my plate at the moment.”

Boil the ocean

The phrase describes taking on a task that is too ambitious, impractical, or unnecessarily complex.

e.g.: “Let’s avoid trying to boil the ocean—focus on small, achievable goals first.

Brain dump

“Brain dump” refers to quickly transferring ideas or information from your mind onto paper or a digital format.

e.g.: “Before the strategy session, I did a quick brain dump to capture all my initial ideas.”

Game changer

You call any idea, product, or decision that significantly alters the current situation or outcome a “game changer”.

e.g.: “The new automation tool is a game changer—it’s already saving us hours every week.”

Good to go

This expression indicates that something is complete, finalized, or ready for action.

e.g.: “I’ve reviewed the deck and made the changes—it’s good to go for the client presentation.”

Herding cats

Native speakers use this expression humorously to describe the challenge of managing disorganized or uncoordinated individuals or groups.

e.g.: “Trying to coordinate five departments for this rollout feels like herding cats.”

Run it up the flagpole

“Run it up the flagpole” means proposing an idea to see how others react or seeking approval. A e.g. is, "Let's run this new pricing model up the flagpole before we implement anything."

Finance & investment terms

This financial business words list can help professionals discuss profitability, risk, and overall fiscal health in both strategic and operational contexts.

Return on Investment (ROI)

ROI is a term referring to the measurement of how much profit or value is gained from an investment relative to its cost.

e.g.: "The marketing team reported a 150% ROI on their digital ad campaign."

Profit margin

This term represents the percentage of revenue that remains as profit after all expenses are deducted.

e.g.: "We need to reduce production costs to improve our profit margin."

Cash flow

Refers to the net amount of cash moving in and out of a business. Positive cash flow indicates financial stability, while negative cash flow may signal issues.

e.g.: "The CFO emphasized improving cash flow to avoid liquidity problems."

Assets

The word “Assets” refers to valuable resources owned by a business, such as buildings, inventory, intellectual property, or cash.

e.g.: "The company's assets include office space, servers, and patents."

Liabilities

The word “liabilities” means a company’s financial obligations or debts, including loans, accounts payable, and salaries.

e.g.: "We're restructuring our liabilities to reduce monthly interest payments."

Equity

Equity refers to the value remaining after liabilities are subtracted from assets.

e.g.: "Founders still hold 60% equity after the latest funding round."

Break-even point

The phrase “break-even point” refers to the point at which total revenue equals total costs, meaning the company is not making a profit but also not incurring a loss.

e.g.: "We’re expected to reach the break-even point within six months of launch."

Diversification

Diversification is a strategy that spreads investments across different assets or markets to minimize risk.

e.g.: "Diversification protected our portfolio during market volatility."

Capital expenditure (CapEx)

The phrase refers to funds used by a company to acquire or upgrade physical assets such as equipment, technology, or infrastructure.

e.g.: "The annual report outlined $2 million in CapEx for new manufacturing equipment."

Net worth

This phrase is the total value of a company or individual, calculated by subtracting liabilities from assets.

e.g.: "The startup’s net worth has doubled following its Series B funding."

Marketing & sales terms

You’ll find the following terms commonly used in branding, strategy, and sales conversion discussions to boost customer engagement and revenue:

Target market

This phrase describes a defined group of potential customers toward whom a company directs its marketing efforts.

e.g.: "Our target market for the new skincare line is women aged 25–40 who prefer organic products."

Value proposition

The value proposition is a concise statement that explains why a customer should choose your product or service.

e.g.: "Our value proposition focuses on fast delivery and eco-friendly packaging."

Conversion rate

This phrase refers to the percentage of users who complete a desired action (like making a purchase or signing up for a newsletter) out of the total number of visitors or leads on a digital platform.

e.g.: "Our email campaign achieved a 12% conversion rate, up from last quarter."

Brand equity

Brand equity is the value and strength of a brand in the market, often based on customer perception, recognition, and loyalty.

e.g.: "Apple’s brand equity allows it to command premium pricing on its devices."

Lead generation

This phrase refers to the process of attracting and converting strangers into potential customers, often through digital marketing, content, or events.

e.g.: "We’re using gated content to increase lead generation through our blog."

Customer journey

The customer journey is the total experience a customer has, from discovering a brand to making a purchase and beyond.

e.g.: "Mapping the customer journey revealed friction at the checkout stage."

Call to Action (CTA)

A CTA is a prompt that encourages users to take a specific next step. It includes business words and business English phrases like “Buy Now,” “Subscribe,” or “Book a Demo.”

e.g.: "We updated the CTA on our homepage to boost trial sign-ups."

Upselling

The word means a sales strategy that encourages customers to purchase a higher-end product or add-ons.

e.g.: "Our reps are trained to upsell extended warranties at the point of sale."

Market penetration

Market penetration refers to a marketing strategy or metric used to gauge the extent to which a product is being used in its intended market compared to its total potential.

e.g.: "We’re using competitive pricing to drive deeper market penetration in Southeast Asia."

Positioning statement

This phrase represents a short statement that defines how a brand or product fits into the market and how it differs from competitors.

e.g.: "Our positioning statement emphasizes affordability and speed for busy professionals."

Project management vocabulary

These business vocab options are essential when organizing, tracking, and evaluating projects to ensure they stay within scope, budget, and timeframes:

Scope

This word means the boundaries and deliverables of a project, including what is included and what isn't.

e.g.: "Let’s finalize the scope so the team doesn’t start working on features outside the brief."

Milestone

This word refers to a significant event or checkpoint in a project timeline that marks the completion of a major phase or deliverable.

e.g.: "Our next milestone is completing user testing by the end of Q2 2025."

Stakeholder

Any individual or group affected by the project or who has an interest in its outcome is called a "Stakeholder." That includes clients, team members, executives, or external partners.

e.g.: "We need stakeholder approval before proceeding to the development phase."

Gantt chart

Gantt chart is a phrase defining a visual timeline that outlines project tasks, durations, and dependencies.

e.g.: "The Gantt chart shows we’re a week behind on backend integration."

Risk management

Risk management is the process of identifying, assessing, and mitigating potential risks that could impact the project’s success.

e.g.: "We’ll build in a risk buffer in case the supplier delays shipment."

Critical path

The phrase refers to the sequence of dependent tasks determining the shortest possible project duration.

e.g.: "UI approval is on the critical path—if we miss it, the launch will be delayed."

Resource allocation

Resource allocation refers to the strategic assignment of people, tools, and time to various project tasks to maximize efficiency.

e.g.: "We need to reallocate resources from marketing to support the product launch."

Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)

The term refers to the hierarchical decomposition of a project into smaller, manageable components or tasks.

e.g.: "The WBS breaks the website redesign into content, design, and development streams."

Agile

This term refers to a project management methodology emphasizing iterative development, flexibility, and close collaboration and is especially common in tech and software teams.

e.g.: "We’ve shifted to Agile to release features faster and gather user feedback early."

Deliverable

The word describes a specific output or product that must be completed and handed over as part of the project.

e.g.: "The client expects three deliverables this month, including the prototype."

HR & workplace culture phrases

These expressions reflect key practices in employee management, retention, and creating a healthy company culture:

Onboarding

The word refers to the structured process of integrating a new employee into a company.

e.g.: "Our 30-day onboarding plan includes mentorship, systems training, and team introductions."

Employee retention

The phrase covers strategies and efforts used to keep valuable employees within the organization.

e.g.: "We’re focusing on employee retention by offering flexible work and professional development."

Performance appraisal

Performance appraisals are formal evaluations of an employee's work, typically conducted annually or quarterly.

e.g.: "During your performance appraisal, we’ll review your achievements and set new KPIs."

Diversity & Inclusion (D&I)

The term refers to the practice of fostering a workplace that values varied backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives while ensuring equal opportunity and respectful treatment.

e.g.: "Our new hiring policy supports diversity and inclusion through bias-free recruitment."

Work-life balance

“Work-life balance” is one of the more common business phrases that refers to ensuring equal time is dedicated to professional responsibilities and personal time.

e.g.: "We’ve introduced flexible hours and mental health days to promote better work-life balance."

Employee engagement

Employee engagement refers to a worker’s emotional commitment toward their organization and its goals.

e.g.: "Our internal survey showed a 20% boost in employee engagement after team-building retreats."

Company culture

This expression refers to the shared values, behaviors, and practices that define the working environment.

e.g.: "We’re fostering a company culture that encourages transparency and continuous learning."

Conflict resolution

Conflict resolution is the method used to address disputes or disagreements in a healthy, constructive way.

e.g.: "Our HR team facilitates conflict resolution workshops to improve team collaboration."

Succession planning

The phrase means the process of identifying and developing internal candidates to fill key leadership roles in the future.

e.g.: "Succession planning allows us to groom top performers for managerial roles."

360-Degree feedback

This expression is a comprehensive performance review method that gathers input from an employee’s peers, subordinates, managers, and sometimes clients.

e.g.: "This year, all senior staff will receive 360-degree feedback as part of their leadership development."

Communication & Collaboration Terms

You can use the following expressions in meetings and team collaborations to streamline interactions and keep communication productive:

Touch base

This phrase means briefly connecting or checking in with someone about a project, update, or concern.

e.g.: “Let’s touch base tomorrow morning to finalize the presentation details.”

Circle back

This expression indicates revisiting a topic later, either because more information is needed or it's not the right time to discuss it. e.g.: “We don’t have the data yet, but I’ll circle back with you by Friday.”

On the same page

Refers to achieving mutual understanding or agreement among team members.

e.g.: “Before we present to the client, I want to make sure we’re all on the same page.”

Bandwidth

A metaphorical way to describe someone’s capacity to take on additional work.

e.g.: “I’d love to help, but I don’t have the bandwidth this week.”

Take it offline

This phrase suggests moving a conversation from a public or group setting (like a meeting) to a more private or focused environment, often to avoid derailing the current agenda.

e.g.: "That's a good point, but let's take it offline and discuss it after the call."

Loop in

The expression means to include someone in a conversation or email thread so that they are aware of and involved in ongoing discussions or decisions.

e.g.: “I’ll loop in Sarah since she’s leading the design work on this.”

Action items

Action items are specific, trackable tasks assigned to individuals after meetings or collaborative sessions. These items help ensure follow-through and accountability.

e.g.: "Let's wrap up with a summary of action items for everyone to complete this week."

Stake your claim

To “stake your claim” means to confidently express your position, idea, or interest in a responsibility or opportunity.

e.g.: “If you’re interested in leading the project, now’s the time to stake your claim.”

Ping me

A casual phrase meaning “message me” or “reach out to me,” typically through email, Slack, or any other online messaging app.

e.g.: “Ping me if you have any updates before the meeting.”

Table the Discussion

The expression refers to postponing a topic or decision for a later time.

e.g.: “Let’s table this discussion until we get the final numbers from finance.”

Tips on building and improving your business English vocabulary

As you build on your professional vocabulary, you want to be sure you're doing things right. These tips can help you:

Learn in context, not in isolation

Don't just memorize business terms; try to see how they're used in real conversations, emails, and meetings. Subscribe to business-focused podcasts, read industry blogs or business news, and highlight recurring phrases. Note how they're used in different contexts and try to mirror that usage in your work.

Create a living glossary

Maintain your own English business vocabulary bank of new professional English words, idioms, or phrases. Include definitions, real examples, and even your sample sentences. You can use tools like Notion, Google Sheets, the Loora app or even a dedicated notebook.

Practice actively

The best way to remember new terms is to use them – at work, in practice emails, or during team discussions. Here’s an idea for you: each week, pick 3–5 new phrases from your glossary and intentionally incorporate them into your emails, presentations, or Slack messages.