Business (Advanced) — C1 Essential Words

entrepreneur /ˌɒntrəprəˈnɜːr/ noun C1 Business

Meaning: A person who starts a new business, taking financial risks in the hope of profit.

Example: The young entrepreneur opened three cafes in two years.

Another example: Entrepreneurs create most new jobs.

Collocations: young entrepreneur · entrepreneur and founder · successful entrepreneur

Synonyms: founder, business owner, startup creator

Antonyms: employee

Word family: entrepreneurs (n pl) · entrepreneurial (adj) · entrepreneurship (n)

⚠ Common mistake: French spelling, American dream-job. The adjective entrepreneurial describes the risk-taking spirit itself.

🗣 In spoken American English: Reality shows made it a dream title for a generation.

Register: Formal — business core person.

venture /ˈventʃər/ noun / verb C1 Business

Meaning: A new business activity involving risk; to go somewhere dangerous or to risk doing something.

Example: Their first venture failed in a year.

Another example: Few would venture into the storm.

Collocations: business venture · joint venture · venture capital

Synonyms: undertaking, project, risk

Word family: ventures (n pl) · venture (v)

⚠ Common mistake: Venture CAPITAL funds ventures — the startup world's fuel phrase. Joint ventures share the risk between companies.

🗣 In spoken American English: Every unicorn story starts with this risky word.

Register: Formal — startup essential.

startup /ˈstɑːrtʌp/ noun C1 Business

Meaning: A new company, usually small and technology-based, designed to grow quickly.

Example: She works at a health-tech startup.

Another example: The startup raised two million dollars.

Collocations: tech startup · startup culture · startup founder

Synonyms: new company, venture

Antonyms: corporation, establishment

Word family: startups (n pl) · start up (v)

⚠ Common mistake: A startup is not just any new business — it aims to SCALE fast and often seeks investors. The corner bakery is a small business; the app is a startup.

🗣 In spoken American English: Hoodies, pitch decks, and impossible dreams: the word carries its uniform.

Register: Neutral to formal — modern business essential.

monopoly /məˈnɒpəli/ noun C1 Business

Meaning: A situation where one company controls an entire market, with no competition; the company itself.

Example: The phone company held a monopoly for decades.

Another example: Laws prevent monopolies in most industries.

Collocations: hold a monopoly · monopoly over · monopoly power

Synonyms: dominance, control, sole provider

Antonyms: competition

Word family: monopolies (n pl) · monopolistic (adj) · monopolize (v)

⚠ Common mistake: Governments break monopolies up ('antitrust') to protect competition. The board game with the same name teaches the concept gleefully.

🗣 In spoken American English: Every market giant eventually hears the word in court.

Register: Formal — economics essential.

franchise /ˈfræntʃaɪz/ noun C1 Business

Meaning: A right granted to a person or company to sell another company's products or services in a place, using its name and system.

Example: He bought a coffee franchise in Texas.

Another example: The franchise has 300 locations.

Collocations: buy a franchise · franchise owner · franchise fee

Synonyms: chain outlet, license

Word family: franchises (n pl) · franchisor/franchisee (n)

⚠ Common mistake: The franchisor owns the brand; the franchisee buys the right to run one location. Fast food runs on this engine.

🗣 In spoken American English: Every highway exit proves it: the same golden signs, different local owners.

Register: Formal — business model essential.

subsidiary /səbˈsɪdiəri/ noun C1 Business

Meaning: A company owned or controlled by a larger company.

Example: The airline is a subsidiary of a travel group.

Another example: Subsidiaries operate in twelve countries.

Collocations: a subsidiary of · wholly-owned subsidiary · subsidiary company

Synonyms: branch company, division

Antonyms: parent company

Word family: subsidiaries (n pl) · subsidiary (adj — secondary)

⚠ Common mistake: The owner is the PARENT company; the owned one is the subsidiary. As an adjective it means secondary/less important.

🗣 In spoken American English: Corporate family trees sprawl: parents, subsidiaries, cousins everywhere.

Register: Formal — corporate essential.

shareholder /ˈʃeərhəʊldər/ noun C1 Business

Meaning: A person or organization that owns shares in a company and therefore part of it.

Example: Shareholders voted on the new director.

Another example: The company paid its shareholders well.

Collocations: major shareholder · shareholder meeting · shareholders' rights

Synonyms: stockholder, investor, owner (part)

Word family: shareholders (n pl) · share (n/v) · shares (n pl)

⚠ Common mistake: Shareholder and stockholder are synonyms (US prefers stockholder in casual use). Shareholders own slices; they vote and receive dividends.

🗣 In spoken American English: Annual meetings turn them into an audience companies must please.

Register: Formal — corporate essential.

dividend /ˈdɪvɪdend/ noun C1 Business

Meaning: A sum of money paid regularly by a company to its shareholders out of its profits.

Example: The bank pays a dividend every quarter.

Another example: Dividends reward long-term investors.

Collocations: pay a dividend · dividend income · annual dividend

Synonyms: payout, share of profits, return

Word family: dividends (n pl) · divide (v — root)

⚠ Common mistake: Not all companies pay dividends — young ones reinvest profits instead. Retirees love dividend stocks for steady income.

🗣 In spoken American English: Quarterly checks that make ownership feel real.

Register: Formal — investing essential.

audit /ˈɔːdɪt/ noun / verb C1 Business

Meaning: An official examination of a company's accounts to check they are correct; to carry out such an examination.

Example: The annual audit found no problems.

Another example: Outside accountants audit the firm.

Collocations: annual audit · audit of · under audit

Synonyms: examination, inspection, review

Word family: audits (n pl) · auditor (n)

⚠ Common mistake: An audit checks truth in numbers — internal teams or outside firms perform it. The tax office's audit is the feared personal version.

🗣 In spoken American English: Trust, verified: the audit is business's lie detector.

Register: Formal — accounting essential.

liability /ˌlaɪəˈbɪləti/ noun C1 Business

Meaning: A company's debts and legal obligations; also legal responsibility for damage, or a person/thing that causes problems.

Example: The firm's liabilities exceed its assets.

Another example: The old roof is a liability for the house.

Collocations: liabilities and assets · legal liability · a liability for

Synonyms: debt, obligation, responsibility

Antonyms: asset

Word family: liabilities (n pl) · liable (adj)

⚠ Common mistake: Assets vs liabilities is accounting's founding contrast. A person called 'a liability' is a burden — the informal thorn of the word.

🗣 In spoken American English: Balance sheets are its home: every company is the tug-of-war between the two columns.

Register: Formal — accounting core.