Reference Vocabulary: unit 7 - international business

English for Business & Economics 1, 2025 – 2026

to heighten

to make something stronger, more intense or more noticeable

sovereign debt

money owed by a national government

disparities

significant differences or inequalities

persistent

continuing for a long time; enduring

monolithic (cf. view of)

large, uniform and rigid; often used to describe something seen as unchanging or unified

tainted

spoiled, contaminated or negatively affected

loan terms

the conditions under which money is borrowed (e.g. interest rate, repayment period)

to account for

to explain, justify or consider something

incumbent

the current holder of a position or office

coverage

reporting, attention or protection provided (e.g. media coverage, insurance coverage)

at stake (issues)

what is at risk or could be lost in a situation

foreign aid

financial or material support given by one country to another

perception

how something is understood, interpreted or seen by others

credit ratings

assessments of a borrower’s ability to repay debt

disproportionate

not in correct relation or balance; excessive compared to something else

reforms

changes made to improve systems, laws or practices

recognition

acknowledgment or approval of something

pessimistic

having a negative or gloomy outlook

trope(s)

common themes, motifs or conventions often repeated in literature, media or discourse

to disrupt

to interrupt or drastically change the normal operation of something

cross-border trade

trade between different countries

skilled worker

a person with specialized training or expertise in a trade or profession

competitive advantage

a feature or factor that allows a company or country to outperform competitors

to curtail

to reduce, limit or cut back

assets

resources owned by a person or company that have economic value

geopolitical

relating to the politics, geography or relationships of countries

adverse

negative, harmful or unfavorable

risk

the possibility of loss, harm or negative outcomes

to pose

to present or create (a risk, challenge or problem)

stock returns

profits or losses made from investments in stocks

percentage points

a unit for comparing differences in percentages

monthly drop

a decrease occurring over a month

sovereign risk

the risk that a government may default on its debt

output

the total amount produced by a company, industry or economy

credit derrivatives

financial instruments used to manage or transfer credit risk

spill over

effects that extend beyond their original context or area

linkages

connections or relationships between entities or markets

premium

an extra amount paid for something, often for higher quality or reduced risk

institution

an organization with a formal strucure, such as a bank, universitu or government body

trading partner

a country or company with which another country or company engages in trade

asset price

the monetary value of an asset, such as stocks, bonds or poprety

macroeconomic

relating to the economy as a whole, including national output, employment and inflation

compensation

payment or benefits given for work, loss or damage

stocks

shares of ownership in a company

to be exposed to something (cf. risk)

to be in a situation xhere one could experience loss, harm or danger

safeguarding

protecting or ensuring the safety and security of something

a loss

the negative difference between costs and revenues or losing money or value

regulators

authorities or organizations that enforce rules and laws often in finance or industry

to allocate

to distribute resources or funds for a specific purpose

to stress test (v)/stress tests (n)

testing a system, company or bank to see how it would cope under extreme conditions

liquidity

the ease with which an asset can be converted into cash without loss of value

a buffer

something that reduces the impact of shocks, losses or risk

vulnerable

susceptible to harm, damage or risk

geopolitical shock

a sudden political or economic event in one or more countries that affects global markets

to borrow

to take money or resources temporarily, usually with an agreement to return them

to buck the trend

to go against the usual pattern or direction

giddying success

extremely rapid or overwhelming success that can be dizzying

prosper

to grow, succeed or thrive, especially financially or in business

non-negotiable

something that cannot be changed or compromised

catalyst

something that causes or accelerates a significant change or action

start-up (adj.)

relating to a newly established business

start-ups (n)

newly founded companies, typically small and innovative

lifeblood

something essential for the survival or success of an organization or system

hybrid working

a working model combining remote work and in-office work

to adapt to

to adjust or change in response to new conditions or environments