Search Content

Business Word/Phrase of the Day

word-phrase-descEvery day we publish a business word or phrase together with audio pronunciation, phonetics, definition and example sentences. This is a great way to improve your workplace vocabulary as well as your pronunciation. To receive 'Business Word/Phrase of the Day' by email, just subscribe to our newsletter from the link above. 

TO HIT A GLASS CEILING  

23 Sep 2022

Phrase

  • the phenomenon when a career seems to be advancing for a while and then – for no apparent reason – promotions stop and the person is stuck in a certain position or at a certain level on the career ladder.
Example Sentence: They often say there's an invisible glass ceiling women hit at their workplace – certain positions are simply available only for men.
 

CEILING silɪŋ

22 Sep 2022

Noun

  • the highest amount or limit that can be charged for a product or service; also, the maximum number or quantity of goods that can be produced.
Example Sentence: The government decided to intervene and place a price ceiling on certain products - the impact on consumer demand and production was dramatic.
 

A BALLPARK FIGURE bɔlˌpɑrk fɪgər

21 Sep 2022

Noun

  • an approximate number, a guesstimate.
Example Sentence: There were about 5 million people there, but it's just a ballpark figure.
 

GROUND RULES graʊnd ruls

20 Sep 2022

Noun

  • he basic principles that one has to keep/stick to.
Example Sentence: It is extremely important to establish ground rules for business meetings otherwise things can get out of hand and the meeting ends in chaos.
 

TO SUBSIDISE sʌbsɪˌdaɪz

19 Sep 2022

Verb

  • to give money to a person, institution or organisation in order to aid them.
Example Sentence: The government cannot subsidise every single initiative; they have to prioritise somehow.
 

A SENSE OF ACCOMPLISHMENT  

18 Sep 2022

Noun

  • the feeling that you have achieved something impressive, usually with a lot of work.
Example Sentence: When Sam drank his first home-made wine he felt a sense of accomplishment.
 

TIER-ONE SUPPLIER  

17 Sep 2022

Noun

  • supplier that stands high on a company's chain of suppliers and is usually in a direct contact with the client.
Example Sentence: Our company is a tier-one supplier of one of the biggest car manufacturers in Japan – we produce their tyres.
 

BEAR MARKET bɛər mɑrkɪt

16 Sep 2022

Phrase

  • a downward market trend when prices of shares, commodities etc are falling and the market is pessimistic. When this occurs there is usually high inflation and unemployment.
Example Sentence: Investment in a bear market might make sense.
 

BULL MARKET bʊl mɑrkɪt

15 Sep 2022

Phrase

  • an upward market trend when prices of shares, commodities etc are rising and the market is optimistic.
Example Sentence: Though things seem to be improving in our sector, the bull market won't come back.
 

RALLY ˈræli

14 Sep 2022

Noun

  • when share prices (or the stock exchange itself) return to a strong position after a period of weakness.
Example Sentence: Unfortunately I only started buying shares when the summer stock market rally was over so I didn't get as rich as some of my friends did.
 

OVERHAUL oʊvərˌhɔl

13 Sep 2022

Noun

  • a general, thorough examination of machinery, computers, systems etc
Example Sentence: Productivity has been decreasing gradually in the past few months so a complete overhaul of the system is absolutely necessary.
 

TO REFUND rɪˈfʌnd

12 Sep 2022

Verb

  • to give a customer their money back because they are not satisfied with the product or service they have received.
Example Sentence: The shop was not willing to refund my money in full so I decided to report them to the competent authority.
 

REGULATOR rɛgyəˌleɪtər

11 Sep 2022

Noun

  • an organisation or body that controls an area of industry and monitors its fair operation.
Example Sentence: The Spanish regulator has not released any details about the new tender for spectrums so far.
 

TO REHEARSE rɪˈhɜrs

10 Sep 2022

Verb

  • to practise e.g. a presentation before actually delivering it.
Example Sentence: It is important to rehearse before delivering a presentation, partly because you can gain the necessary confidence this way.
 

PURVEYOR pərˈveɪər

09 Sep 2022

Noun

  • a company that supplies goods or services.
Example Sentence: Although we've just entered the market, we'd like to become the number one purveyor of fine wines and rare spirits within a year.
 
Menu