ENGLISH BUSINESS VOCABULARY
MEETINGS VOCABULARY
The meaning of words relating to meetings and conferences.
WORD | MEANING |
A.G.M. | Annual General Meeting |
Absentee | Person not at the meeting, not present. |
Agenda | Written list of points to be discussed at a meeting. |
Alternative | Choice of two or more possibilities. |
Attendee | Participant or person attending a meeting. |
Ballot | System of secret voting: voters place their ballot-papers in a ballot-box. |
Casting vote | Deciding vote, usually by the Chairman, when votes are in equal number. |
Chairman Chairperson |
The person who conducts the meeting. |
Clarify | Make something clearer by giving more information. |
Conference | Formal meeting for discussion or exchange of views among people with a shared interest. A conference typically lasts several days. (Example: a conference on climate change). |
Conference call | Telephone call linking three or more people in
different places so that they can communicate simultaneously. |
Consensus | General agreement. |
Deadline | Future date by which something must be done. |
Decision | Reach a conclusion or resolution concerning future action. |
I-conference | A meeting or discussion between two or more people via the Internet. |
Interrupt | Stop a person who is speaking in order to say or do something. |
Item | A separate point for discussion on an agenda. |
Main point | What is most essential. |
Minutes | A written summary of the proceedings at a meeting. |
Objective | What is aimed at, what one wants to achieve or obtain. |
Point out | Draw attention to something e.g. point out an increase in demand. |
Proposal | A course of action put forward for consideration: to make a proposal. |
Proxy vote | A vote cast by one person for another. |
Recommend | Advise a course of action: to make a recommendation. |
Show of hands | Raised hands to express agreement or disagreement in a vote. |
Summary | A brief statement of the main points. |
Task | A piece of work to be done: to assign a task to someone. |
Unanimous | In complete agreement. |
Video conference | Conference linking people in different locations by satellite, TV, etc. |
Vote | Express one's agreement or disagreement: to cast a vote. |