Money and Business: English Vocabulary List

to diminish in value, especially over time

"New cars depreciate quickly in value."

"New cars depreciate quickly in value as soon as they are driven off the dealership lot."

relating to the removal or reduction of governmental power or regulations from an industry, commodity, etc.

"The policy is deregulatory."

"The policy is deregulatory and removes many government rules that businesses previously had to follow."

costing a lot of money, more than the necessary or affordable amount

"She has extravagant tastes."

"Her extravagant spending habits left her with almost no savings even though she earned a very good salary."

relating to government revenue or public money, especially taxes

"Fiscal year ends soon."

"The fiscal year ends in March and the accounting department is busy preparing reports."

relating to a policy in which private businesses are allowed to thrive without government control

"The government has a laissez-faire approach."

"The government has a laissez faire approach and does not interfere with the economy at all."

‌not paid, done, etc. within the required or expected timeframe

"The book is overdue."

"The library book was three weeks overdue and she had to pay a fine."

the money that is demanded by the court to be paid to an ex-spouse or ex-partner

"She receives alimony."

"After the divorce, the court mandated that he pay a specific amount of alimony to his former spouse each month."

money that is owed and not yet paid

"Payment is in arrears."

"The homeowner was notified that their mortgage payments were in arrears and immediate action was required to avoid foreclosure."

a formal inspection of a business's financial records to see if they are correct and accurate or not

"The firm's finances undergo a rigorous external audit every year."

"An energy audit is a professional inspection and analysis of energy flows in a building to identify opportunities to improve efficiency and reduce consumption and cost."

an act of giving money to a foreign country, a failing company, or an organization on the verge of collapse to ensure their safety from bankruptcy

"The government provided a bailout for the banks."

"The government bailout saved the bank from collapse during the financial crisis last year."

the state or condition of not having enough money to pay one's debts

"The business faced insolvency last month."

"The company's prolonged insolvency led to its eventual bankruptcy and closure."

a challenging situation caused by a shortage, such as time, money, or resources, that requires immediate attention or action

"A time crunch looms."

"The tight deadline created a serious time crunch, forcing us to work overtime every day."

(economics) a decrease in the amount of money in an economy, resulting in falling or unchanged prices

"Deflation caused prices to drop sharply."

"Economic deflation can cause serious problems by reducing spending and investment in the country."

an amount of money demanded or paid for the release of a person who is in captivity

"They paid the ransom."

"The kidnappers demanded a substantial ransom for the safe return of the abducted businessman."

an amount of money that a government or organization pays to lower the costs of producing goods or providing services so that prices do not increase

"The government increased the farming subsidy recently"

"The government removed the fuel subsidy causing gasoline prices to rise dramatically overnight."

a tax paid on goods imported or exported

"The tariff raised prices on imported goods"

"The new tariff on imported steel raised prices for domestic car manufacturers significantly."

the practice of lending money at excessively high interest rates, considered unethical or illegal

"The loan was considered usury because of its high interest."

"Illegal usury is charging extremely high interest rates on loans."

financial assets in the form of money or able to be easily converted into money

"The company has strong liquidity."

"High liquidity means the company has enough cash to pay its bills on time."

the theory or policy of controlling the amount of money in circulation as the preferred method of stabilizing the economy

"Monetarism focuses on controlling the money supply."

"Monetarism theory emphasizes the role of money supply in controlling inflation."

an economic situation with persistent high inflation and a high unemployment rate

"The 1970s saw a period of stagflation."

"Stagflation is a serious economic problem combining high inflation and high unemployment."

the collective body of clients served by a business, professional, or institution

"The restaurant attracts a wealthy clientele."

"The restaurant has a loyal regular clientele who come every weekend."

a corporation formed by merging different firms or businesses

"The media conglomerate owns TV stations and newspapers worldwide."

"The large conglomerate was formed by merging several smaller companies in the technology sector."

a business company controlled or owned by a holding or parent company

"The subsidiary company is based in London."

"The company subsidiary operates in many countries around the world."

an advertising television program that tries to promote a product by giving a lot of information about it in a supposedly objective manner

"The infomercial advertised a new kitchen gadget."

"I stayed up late watching an infomercial that promised amazing results from a revolutionary new cleaning product."

the act of reducing or limiting something in order to reach financial stability

"Curtailment helps finances."

"The necessary curtailment of operational expenses was implemented to ensure the company's long-term financial stability and survival."

the process of having someone outside of a company provide goods or services for that company

"They decided on outsourcing."

"Many businesses opt for outsourcing their customer service to specialized call centers."

a person whose job is to sell and buy assets and goods for other people

"The real estate broker showed us five houses."

"The real estate broker showed us five different houses before we finally found one we liked."

a person who lends money to people, typically under illegal conditions, at a very high rate of interest

"A loan shark charges high interest."

"The desperate businessman borrowed money from a loan shark who charged an extremely high interest rate."

a rich and powerful person who is successful in business or industry

"The real estate tycoon owned many buildings."

"The business tycoon built a huge empire from nothing many years ago."

a wealthy, influential, and successful businessperson

"The oil magnate donated millions to charity."

"The oil magnate controls a large part of the energy market in the country."

(in business, politics, etc.) a situation in which the competition is so fierce that everyone is willing to do whatever it takes to be successful, even if it means harming others

"The business world is dog eat dog."

"The business world can be dog eat dog so you need to be tough to survive and succeed."

to vary or waver between two or more states or amounts

"Stock prices fluctuate throughout the trading day."

"The price of gasoline tends to fluctuate depending on global oil supply and demand throughout the year."

to decline in amount or value in a sudden and rapid way

"The stock price plummeted dramatically."

"The company's stock value began to plummet dramatically after the scandal was revealed to the public."

to increase rapidly to a high level

"Prices will soar quickly."

"The eagle spread its wide wings and began to soar high above the valley looking for prey below."

able to be changed from one form of currency, investment, or security into another

"The money is convertible."

"This particular investment fund is convertible into shares of the parent company at any time."

a loan guarantee that may be taken away if the loan is not repaid

"The car is collateral."

"The bank required him to pledge his valuable artwork as collateral for the substantial business loan he requested."

a payment or concession to encourage someone to do something specific

"The bonus served as a strong incentive"

"Tax incentives encouraged businesses to invest in renewable energy and reduce their carbon emissions."

a statement indicating the cost of a specific service or piece of work

"Get a price quotation."

"The contractor provided a detailed quotation for the renovation work required."

an amount of money paid regularly to the shareholders of a company

"Get your dividend."

"The company announced a generous dividend payment to its loyal shareholders this fiscal year."

(finance) the value of a company's shares in relation to its debts

"What is the leverage?"

"The company's high leverage made it vulnerable to market fluctuations and increased borrowing costs."