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C1 Higher Business English Vocabulary | Words You Need To Know

This is the official BEC higher vocabulary list for the Cambridge BEC C1 Higher Business English exam.



Business English C1 Vocabulary List

  • (be the) catalyst for (v)
  • (below) the waterline
  • (with the utmost) discretion (n)
  • accordingly (adv)
  • accustomed (adj)
  • acquisitions
  • adaptation (n)
  • add on (v)
  • address an issue (v)
  • adventurous (adj)
  • adverse (adj)
  • aggressive (adj)
  • align (v)
  • alliance (n)
  • ambiguity (n)
  • anticipate (v)
  • appliance (n)
  • appraisal (n)
  • arise (v)
  • aspiration (n)
  • assertiveness (n)
  • asset stripping
  • assets (n)
  • assume (v)
  • assumption (n)
  • astute (adj)
  • attach (v)
  • attitude (n)
  • attribute (n)
  • audience reach (n)
  • axe (v)


  • Cambridge English Vocabulary List C1

  • bad debts
  • be faced with
  • be the case
  • bear a grudge against someone (v)
  • behavioural (adj)
  • behind closed doors
  • behind someone's back
  • benchmark (v)
  • beverage (n)
  • bewildered (adj)
  • bid (v)
  • bind together (v)
  • bitter (adj)
  • blow the whistle on (v)
  • blunt (adj)
  • booming (adj)
  • boost to (n)
  • brand awareness
  • breach (n)
  • break even (v)
  • breakaway (a)
  • brewery (n)
  • brief (n)
  • brokerage (n)
  • bugging (conversations)
  • building relationships
  • bump into (v)


  • capacity (n)
  • carefree (adj)
  • channel (n)
  • characteristic (adj)
  • circulate (v)
  • clarity (n)
  • clause (n)
  • clock in/out (v)
  • clone (v)
  • coherent (adj)
  • collaboration (n)
  • collaborative (adj)
  • collaborative tools and workspaces
  • collapse (v)
  • come to terms with
  • common ground (n)
  • compatible (adj)
  • compensation (n)
  • compliance (n)
  • comprehensive (adj)
  • comprise (v)
  • concept (n)
  • concern (n)
  • conduct (v)
  • configuration (n)
  • confines (n)
  • conform (v)
  • consequently (adv)
  • consistently (adv)
  • contrary (adj)
  • core (adj)
  • cornerstone (n)
  • corporate landscape
  • cottage industry (n)
  • counterpart (n)
  • courtesy (n)
  • criteria (n)
  • cultural differences
  • cultural stereotype (n)
  • cyber-espionage


  • Business English Vocabulary List

  • dangle (v)
  • dash out (v)
  • dealings with (n)
  • deal-makers
  • dedicated (adj)
  • defective (adj)
  • delegating tasks
  • deliver (v)
  • departmentalise (v)
  • deregulation (n)
  • desirable (adj)
  • deteriorate (v)
  • deteriorate (v)
  • dilemma (n)
  • diluting
  • discharge (v)
  • disciplined (adj)
  • discomfort (n)
  • discourteous (adj)
  • discreetly (adv)
  • discrimination
  • disgruntled (adj)
  • disparity (n)
  • dispose of (v)
  • dispute (n)
  • disruption (n)
  • distance learning (n)
  • diversify (v)
  • diversity (n)
  • divert (v)
  • divulge (v)
  • domain (n)
  • dominant (adj)
  • downsize
  • dramatically (adv)
  • drive up (price) (v)
  • driver for change (n)
  • dynamic (adj)


  • C1 Vocabulary List Cambridge

  • earning respect
  • ease (v)
  • economies of scale (n)
  • elevate (v)
  • eliminate (v)
  • e-marketing
  • Online-Marketing
  • embark on (v)
  • emotive (adj)
  • empowering (adj)
  • enable (v)
  • encounter (v)
  • enhanced (adj)
  • enrichment (n)
  • entity (n)
  • entrepreneurial (adj)
  • ergonomically (adv)
  • erosion (n)
  • espionage (n)
  • ethical (adj)
  • ethical misconduct
  • evenly (adv)
  • evolve (v)
  • exhausted (adj)
  • expectation (n)
  • expertise (n)
  • explicit (adj)
  • expose (v)
  • extensive (adj)


  • Business English Vocabulary List

  • fad (n)
  • familiarise (v)
  • family-run (adj)
  • fat cat (n)
  • favour (v)
  • feasible (adj)
  • feedback (n)
  • financial engineering
  • financial institutions
  • fit in with (v)
  • flagship (adj)
  • flicker (v)
  • flood (n)
  • fluctuate (v)
  • forefront (n)
  • forge an alliance with (v)
  • formula (n)
  • formulate (v)
  • foster (v)
  • foul play (n) foundation (n)
  • framework (n)
  • fraud (n)
  • freebie (n)
  • frustrated (adj)
  • fundamental (adj)
  • gear towards (v)
  • generate (v)
  • get one's teeth into (v)
  • go through the roof (v)
  • goal-oriented (adj)
  • grapevine (n)
  • guidelines (n)
  • guru (n)


  • Business English Vocabulary List

  • hack into (v)
  • hamper (v)
  • hand-picked (adj)
  • handy (adj)
  • harmonise (v)
  • hassle (n)
  • hat-trick
  • have in common (v)
  • hefty (adj)
  • hierarchical (adj)
  • hierarchy (n)
  • high-calibre (adj)
  • home-based (adj)
  • homogeneous (adj)
  • hostile (adj)
  • hotdesking (n)
  • hum (v)
  • humility (n)

  • ideal (adj)
  • ideology (n)
  • immensely (adv)
  • impact (n)
  • imperative (adj)
  • implement (v)
  • implication (n)
  • impressive (adj)
  • incidental (adj)
  • inconsiderate (adj)
  • indicate (v)
  • industrial restructuring
  • industrial spies
  • infiltrate (v)
  • inflexibility (n)
  • inherent (adj)
  • inherit (v)
  • initiate (v)
  • initiative (n)
  • innovative (adj)
  • inside job (n)
  • instant (adj)
  • intelligence gathering
  • interaction (n)
  • interconnectivity (n)
  • interfere with (v)
  • intimidate (v)
  • intrigue (v)
  • intrinsically (adv)
  • investment banker
  • isolation (n)


  • Business English Vocabulary List

  • jet in/out (v)
  • jump onto the bandwagon

  • keep abreast of (v)
  • keep ahead of (v)
  • keep one's cool (v)

  • leak (v)
  • lean structure (n)
  • likelihood (n)
  • listings (n)
  • logical (adj)
  • look further afield (v)
  • lucrative (adj)

  • machine (v)
  • management tool (n)
  • mastermind (v)
  • mentoring
  • merit (v)
  • mission statement (n)
  • mobility (n)
  • modular (adj)
  • modular philanthropy (n)

  • pinpoint (v)
  • pit something against (adj)
  • placement (n)
  • pledge (v)
  • plummet (v)
  • political correctness (n)
  • portfolio (n)
  • portray (v)
  • pose a question (v)
  • positioning (n)
  • powerhouse (n)
  • practise what one preaches
  • precaution (n)
  • predatory (adj)
  • predictable (adj)
  • premium (n)
  • prequalified (adj)
  • prerequisite (n)
  • prescribed (adj)
  • presence (n)
  • preserve harmony and face
  • press (v)
  • prestigious (adj)
  • pretty (adj)
  • pricey (adj)
  • prioritise (v)
  • probation (n)
  • procurement (n)
  • product life cycle (n)
  • proficiency (n)
  • profile (n)
  • project-oriented (adj)
  • proportion (n)
  • proportion (n)
  • proposer (n)
  • put its success down to (v)


  • Business English Vocabulary List

  • radically (adv)
  • raise capital (v)
  • rarity (n)
  • ratio (n)
  • rationale (n)
  • reach a critical point
  • recover (v)
  • redeployment (n)
  • redundancy (n)
  • reflect (v)
  • remarkable (adj)
  • requisite (adj)
  • reserved (adj)
  • resort (v)
  • responsive (adj)
  • retain (v)
  • retirement age
  • revamp (v)
  • reveal (v)
  • revival (n)
  • rotation (n)
  • ruthless (adj)

  • saturate (v)
  • scenario (n)
  • screen (v)
  • scrutiny (n)
  • seek (v)
  • severance (n)
  • severe (adj)
  • shady (adj)
  • shift (n)
  • shoot up (v)
  • showcase (adj)
  • shred (v)
  • shrewd (adj)
  • situational (adj)
  • sizeable (adj)
  • skills base (n)
  • soar (v)
  • social networking
  • solid (adj)
  • solvent (n)
  • sophistication (n)
  • sound (adj)
  • source (v)
  • speculate (v)
  • spread (v)
  • stable (adj)
  • stakeholders
  • stale (adj)
  • standardisation (n)
  • static (adj)
  • stem form (n)
  • stick up for oneself (v)
  • stint (n)
  • streamline (v)
  • strict (adj)
  • subconsciously (adv)
  • subject to (adj)
  • subsidiary (n)
  • substantial (adj)
  • superb (adj)
  • supply chain (n)
  • surpass (v)
  • surveillance (n)
  • sustainable (adj)
  • synergy (n)


  • Business English Vocabulary List

  • take into account (v)
  • take into consideration (v)
  • takeover or merger
  • talent (n)
  • task-based (adj)
  • team spirit (n)
  • teleworking (n)
  • tend to (v)
  • tentative (adj)
  • thorough (adj)
  • thrift (n)
  • time-consuming (adj)
  • tolerate (v)
  • tough (adj)
  • transactions (n)
  • treat as (v)
  • trend (n)
  • trendy (adj)
  • turn an order around (v)

  • unbiased (adj)
  • uncompromising (adj)
  • undercut (v)
  • underpin (v)
  • undertaking (n)
  • undervalued (adj)
  • undoubtedly (adv)
  • universally (adv)
  • unwind (v)
  • usage (n)
  • usher in (v)

  • value system (n)
  • variable (adj)
  • venue (n)
  • versatile (adj)
  • violation (n)
  • virtual team (n)
  • vital (adj)
  • volatile (adj)
  • vulnerable (adj)

  • walk out (v)
  • walk the talk
  • warrant (v)
  • warranty (n)
  • weigh up (v)
  • well-being (n)
  • whistle-blower
  • widespread (adj)
  • win-win situation (n)
  • work one's way up through the ranks
  • workmanship (n)


  • Good luck with your Business English Certificate!


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