English For Business Meetings – Vocabulary You Can Actually Use
Business meetings can be stressful, especially when you’re trying to find the correct words. That’s exactly why I created this list of English for Business Meetings to help you speak naturally and confidently. You’ll find 30 useful words and phrases, divided into three levels:
👉 Beginner
👉 Advanced
Beginner English For Business Meetings
| Word | Definition | Example |
|---|---|---|
| agenda (n) | A list of things to be talked about in a meeting. | Please look at the agenda before the meeting. |
| meeting (n) | A time and place where people meet to discuss business. | The team meeting will be held in the conference room. |
| present (adj) | To be at a meeting. | John was present at the meeting yesterday. |
| absent (adj) | Not at a meeting. | Mary was absent from the meeting due to illness. |
| discuss (v) | To talk about something. | We need to discuss the marketing ideas for the new product. |
| decision (n) | A choice made after thinking. | The team made a decision to start the product next month. |
| minutes (n) | Notes from a meeting that say what was discussed and any decisions. | The meeting minutes will be given to all attendees. |
| action item (n) | A task that needs to be completed after a meeting. | John needs to complete the action item by Friday. |
| deadline (n) | The latest time when something must be finished. | The deadline for finishing the report is next Tuesday. |
| schedule (v) | To organise something to happen at a set time. | I will schedule the meeting for 2:00 PM tomorrow. |
Intermediate English For Business Meetings
| Word | Definition | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| consensus (n) | Most people agreeing on something. | We reached a consensus on the budget after a lengthy discussion. |
| collaboration (n) | Working together to achieve a common goal. | Collaboration between departments is crucial for project success. |
| delegate (V) | Give tasks or responsibilities to others. | A good manager delegates tasks to the correct people. |
| concise (adj) | Short and easy to understand. Using a few words. | Please keep your presentation concise and focus on the key takeaways. |
| rapport (n) | A friendly and harmonious relationship. | Building rapport with colleagues is essential for effective teamwork. |
| negotiation (n) | Discussion trying to reach an agreement. | Successful negotiation requires strong communication and compromise. |
| prioritise (V) | To order tasks or activities in order of importance and urgency. | It’s important to prioritise tasks so the most important ones are done first. |
| confidential (adj) | Being kept secret or private. | All information discussed in this meeting must be treated as confidential, do not tell anybody. |
| contingency plan (n) | A plan for another course of action. | We need to develop a contingency plan in case the project fails. |
| follow-up (v) | To contact someone again after telling them something. | I will follow up with you on the items discussed in the meeting later this week. |
Advanced English For Business Meetings
| Word | Definition | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| synergy (n) | The combined effect of two or more things working together that is greater than the sum of their separate effects. | By leveraging the synergy between our teams, we were able to exceed all project goals. |
| paradigm shift (n) | A large change in the way you do something or think about a subject. | The introduction of remote work has led to a paradigm shift in how we conduct business meetings. |
| disruptive (adj) | Causing significant change in an industry or process. | Online shopping has been disruptive to the retail industry. |
| proactive (adj) | Taking action to deal with a problem before it happens. | Proactive meeting preparation, such as reviewing the agenda beforehand, can significantly improve efficiency. |
| articulate (adj) | Able to express oneself clearly and effectively. | Articulate communication is essential for conveying complex ideas and ensuring everyone is on the same page during meetings. |
| decisive (adj) | Able to make quick and confident judgments. | Decisive leadership is crucial for driving progress and making timely decisions in meetings. |
| mitigate (v) | Reduce the effect or chance of something happening. | Effective meeting management strategies can mitigate the risk of unproductive discussions and time-wasting. |
| leverage (n) | Use something to maximum advantage. | We need to leverage technology to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of our virtual meetings. |
| expedite (v) | Make (an action or process) happen sooner or more quickly. | Let’s expedite the decision-making process by focusing on the most critical issues. |
| substantiate (v) | Provide evidence to support or prove (something). | Please substantiate your claims with data and supporting evidence during the meeting. |
ℹ️ Other Useful Pages
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👉 Business English Vocabulary List
👉 Business English Idioms List
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I hope our English for Business Meetings was helpful for you.
“Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.”
Rob is a CELTA qualified English teacher with 15 years of international experience. He has a BSc and PGDip from Loughborough and St Andrews universities in the UK. He has taught in Thailand and Saudi Arabia and now works with professionals worldwide.
