Business English Vocabulary - Meetings
| Word | Meaning | Example Sentence |
| absent | not present | The vice president is absent due to unforeseen circumstances. |
| accomplish | succeed in doing | We have a lot to accomplish today, so let's begin. |
| address | deal with; speak on | I hope we do not have to address this matter again in the future. |
| adjourn | close a meeting | If there are no further comments, we will adjourn the meeting here. |
| agenda | list of objectives to cover in a meeting | Please forward the agenda to anyone who is speaking at the meeting. |
| AGM | Annual (yearly) General Meeting | We always vote for a new chairperson at the AGM. |
| allocate | assign roles/tasks to certain people | I forgot to allocate someone to bring refreshments. |
| AOB | Any Other Business (unspecified item on agenda) | The last item on the agenda is AOB. |
| apologies | item on agenda announcing people who are absent; apologies for absence | Everyone is present today, so we can skip the apologies. |
| ballot | a type of vote, usually in writing and usually secret | Please fold your ballot in half before you place it in the box. |
| board of directors | group of elected members of an organization/company who meet to make decisions | The board of directors meets once a month to discuss the budget. |
| boardroom | a large meeting room, often has one long table and many chairs | The boardroom is reserved for a managers' meeting, so we'll have to meet in the lounge. |
| brainstorm | thinking to gather ideas | Let's take a few minutes and brainstorm some ways that we can cut costs. |
| casting vote | deciding vote (usually by the chairman) when the votes are otherwise equal | The role of treasurer was decided based on the chairman's casting vote. |
| chairperson/chair | the person who leads or presides at a meeting | As chair, it is my pleasure to introduce to you, Mr. Allan Davis. |
| clarification/verification | explanation/proof that something is true/understood | Before we address this matter, I'll need some clarification as to who was involved. |
| closing remarks | last thoughts spoken in a meeting (i.e. reminders, thank yous) | I just have a few closing remarks and then you will all be free to go. |
| collaborate | work together as a pair/group | The board fell apart because the members had difficulty collaborating. |
| commence | begin | We will commence as soon as the last person signs the attendance sheet. |
| comment | express one's opinions or thoughts | If you have a comment, please raise your hand rather than speak out. |
| conference | formal meeting for discussion, esp. a regular one held by an organisation | Before the conference there will be a private meeting for board members only. |
| conference call | telephone meeting between three or more people in different locations | Please make sure I have no interruptions while I'm on the conference call. |
| confidential | private; not to be shared | Any financial information shared during this meeting should be kept confidential. |
| consensus | general agreement | If we cannot come to a consensus by the end of the meeting we will put it to a vote. |
| deadline | due date for completion | The deadline for buying tickets to the conference is May 25th. |
| designate | assign | If no one volunteers to take the minutes I will be forced to designate someone. |
| formality | a procedure (often unnecessary) that has to be followed due to a rule | Everyone knows who is going to be the next vice president, so this vote is really just a formality. |
| grievance | complaint | The first item on the agenda relates to a grievance reported by the interns. |
| guest speaker | person who joins the group in order to share information or deliver a speech | I am delighted to welcome our guest speaker Holly, who is going to be offering some sales pitch tips. |
| implement | make something happen; follow through | It's not a question of whether or not we're going to use this idea, it's whether or not we know how to implement it. |
| mandatory | required | It is mandatory that all supervisors attend Friday's meeting. |
| minutes | a written record of everything said at a meeting | Before we begin with today's meeting, let's quickly review the minutes from last month. |
| motion | a suggestion put to a vote | The motion to extend store hours has been passed. |
| objectives | goals to accomplish | I'm pleased that we were able to cover all of the objectives today within the designated time. |
| opening remarks | chairperson or leader's first words at a meeting (i.e. welcome, introductions) | As I mentioned in my opening remarks, we have to clear this room before the end of the hour. |
| overhead projector | machine with a special light that projects a document onto a screen or wall so that all can see | I'm going to put a pie chart on the overhead projector so that everyone can visualize how our profits have declined. |
| participant | person who attends and joins in on an event | Can I have a show of hands of all of those who were participants in last year's conference? |
| proxy vote | a vote cast by one person for or in place of another | There must have been one proxy vote because I count twelve ballots but only eleven attendees. |
| punctual | on time (not late) | Firstly, I want to thank you all for being punctual despite this early meeting. |
| recommend | suggest | I recommend that you sit closer to the front if you have trouble hearing. |
| show of hands | raised hands to express an opinion in a vote | From the show of hands it appears that everyone is in favour of taking a short break. |
| strategy | plan to make something work | We need to come up with a strategy that will allow us to have meetings less frequently. |
| unanimous | in complete agreement; united in opinion | The vote was unanimous to cut work hours on Fridays. |
| vote | to express (the expression of) an opinion in a group by voice or hand etc | We need to vote for a new vice chairperson now that Jerry is retiring. |
| wrap up | finish | Let's wrap up here so that we can get back to our desks. |
Du-te Inapoi la Various
Proin a ligula a odio cursus mollis. Vivamus nec ligula vel nisi hendrerit venenatis. Donec nec justo. Maecenas arcu. Duis dolor arcu, pulvinar vitae, condimentum ac, ultrices quis, tellus. Vivamus libero turpis, euismod id, sagittis vel, ultrices vitae, nulla. Etiam sit amet tellus eu risus pellentesque sodales. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Donec ut purus. Donec varius nulla eu turpis. Etiam suscipit purus nec turpis. Curabitur semper consequat massa. Nam id lacus.
Suspendisse eros. Aliquam consectetuer ullamcorper metus. Ut ultricies augue id pede. Vivamus nec nisi. Sed magna erat, dignissim sed, luctus eu, laoreet a, sapien. Mauris congue dolor a magna. Morbi rutrum nisl vitae diam. Praesent vitae neque at neque interdum accumsan. Curabitur aliquet lacus a nisl. Nulla auctor consequat turpis. Praesent sollicitudin varius sem. Quisque pulvinar ullamcorper orci. Vivamus convallis pede nec mi. Integer consectetuer fermentum neque. Fusce faucibus mi id lorem. Integer gravida scelerisque ipsum. Praesent porttitor vehicula sem. Nam hendrerit tempor orci. Donec vitae pede interdum ligula aliquam venenatis. Cras sodales leo sit amet nunc.