Business English Vocabulary

Business English Vocabulary
These pages list some of the most common words and phrases, with definitions and sample sentences, in 22 different areas of business, together with British and American equivalents for common financial terms.
Advertising Vocabulary
term
meaning

ad
abbr. advertisement - also advert abbr.


Those ads for hamburgers always make me feel hungry.

advertisement
n. item of publicity on TV, radio, the Internet etc that`s meant to persuade people to do something like buy a product, attend an event, etc


Are TV channels allowed to run advertisements for gambling websites in your country?

advertising agency
n. company specialising in producing and placing advertisements for clients


Before becoming a film director, Peter worked for an advertising agency.

AIDA
abbr. Attention, Interest, Desire, Action - the objective of all advertisements


The AIDA model lists the four stages consumers go through when being persuaded to buy something.

benefit
n. advantage of a product or service, usually derived from its features


A good advertisement makes buyers think about a product`s benefits more than the features that create these benefits.

billboardUS
n. a large signboard, usually outdoors, on which a poster-style ad is displayed; hoardingUK


I wonder what it costs to advertise on one of those billboards you drive past on the way to the airport.

circulation
n. average number of copies of a magazine or newspaper sold in a particular period


Our newspaper`s circulation has dropped every year since people began going online for news.

classified ads
n. small advertisements carried by magazines, newspapers, websites etccategorised by subject - also classifieds n.


We list our job offers in the classified ads in Craigslist and the local newspaper.

click
n. (in advertising) the act of pressing a mouse or touch screen on a display ad to visit the advertiser`s website


Any online ad that gets enough clicks to generate a click-through rate of above 0.4% is doing great.

commercial
n. a paid advertisement on radio or TV


After every song on the radio we get two or three commercials. It`s too much advertising for me.

coupon
n. part of a printed advertisement used for ordering goods or getting a discount, sample etc


Marian saves a lot by cutting out those discount coupons you see in supermarket catalogues and magazines.

double-page spread
n. advertisement printed across two pages in a magazine or newspaper


Mercedes Benz has commissioned our agency to do a series of double-page spreads for their latest models.

eye-catcherUS
n. something that especially attracts one`s attention - eye-catching adj.


For an online ad to generate a lot of clicks it has to be an eye-catcher that really grabs people`s attention.

feature
n. special characteristic of a product, usually leading to certain benefits


The drink`s main feature is its low sugar content, and its benefit is that it makes you look slimmer and sexier.

poster
n. large printed sheet of paper, often illustrated, used to advertise a product, event etc


Politicians must spend a fortune on those posters they put up everywhere before an election.

PPC
abbr. pay per click; advertising model in which advertisers pay a publisher each time one of their ads is clicked on


When we advertise online, we always choose the PPC option.

prime time
n. hours on radio and TV with the largest audience, esp. the evening hours


How much is a 30-second radio slot in prime time?

promote
v. to (try to) increase sales of a product by publicising and advertising it


Lil Nas was smart enough to promote his music online for free and his song was a hit after his home-made video went viral.

slot
n. specific time in a broadcasting schedule when a commercial may be shown


The most expensive ads on TV are those 30-second slots in the Super Bowl that cost over $4,000,000 each.

target
n. objective; what one is aiming at - target audience n.


If your target is the teen market, make sure your ad includes language and designs they`ll identify with.


Air Travel Vocabulary
aisle
n. passage between rows of seats [on a plane there are usually one or two]


Would you like a window seat or a seat next to the aisle?

baggage claim
n. place from where passengers collect their luggage (suitcases etc) after arrival


After arriving, go through immigration and then collect your bags from the baggage claim.

board
v. to get on an aircraft, ship, train etc - on board adv.