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If you have worked in large corporations, bureaucracies, and similar workplaces, or currently work at one, you may have heard a few commonly used words and phrases that have slightly (or completely) altered their original meanings when utilized in a corporate setting. Those are the so-called corporate buzzwords, also known as workplace jargon, business jargon, or corporate lingo. If not at your current workplace, it’s very likely that you have seen corporate jargon phrases, such as “work hard, play hard,” “fast-paced environment,” and “rockstar” being used in job listings to attract new talents to the team.

Interestingly, those company buzzwords seem to work as, according to a recent survey, 7 in 10 applicants said trendy language influenced their decision to apply for a job listing. After all, who wouldn’t want to be referred to as a rockstar or get rewarded for all the hard work they’ve put in? It sounds appealing; hence no wonder many take the bait. However, very few companies actually seem to fulfill their promises. Thus, the many trendy office buzzwords have eventually gained negative connotations and started being seen as “red flags” in job listings.

However, while certain buzzwords for business indeed refer to false or ultimately unfulfilled claims, some merely gain the status of annoying corporate buzzwords due to their constant overuse and often misinterpretation. In fact, 1 in 5 employees dislikes corporate jargon. Regardless, many still agree that using corporate lingo phrases makes someone look more professional, hence their prevalent use in the workplace.

Below, we’ve compiled a list of buzzwords commonly used in the corporate world. Whether you want to upgrade your office lingo and impress your coworkers or learn the covert “red flags” used in job listings, the list below might just do the trick. What’s your relationship with popular buzzwords? Do you agree with their meanings? Have you ever refused to apply for a job that used a specific corporate buzzword in its listing? What was it? Let us know!

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#1

61 Corporate Buzzwords And Their Actual Meanings Downsizing

Meaning: Making the company smaller by firing the staff.

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#2

"We're sticking to our core competency"

Meaning: We tried something different, but it didn't work out.

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#3

"At the end of the day…"

Meaning: Whatever follows that sentence is all I’m interested in.

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#4

61 Corporate Buzzwords And Their Actual Meanings Outsourcing

Meaning: We are looking for someone else to do your job.

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#5

"We’ll discuss it after the New Year"

Meaning: We won't come back to this topic.

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#6

"My niece is looking for a job, can you help her?"

Meaning: If I hire her, it will not look very good, and people will start gossiping. Can you do it instead?

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#7

"We need to be lean and mean"

Meaning: You better not take a vacation or decide to quit anytime soon.

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indiecognition
indiecognition
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

"We will make too few people handle too much work for too little money, and do whatever we can to make it as miserable as possible."

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#8

61 Corporate Buzzwords And Their Actual Meanings Plate’s full

Meaning: We are short-staffed and not planning to hire anyone, so you might have to do extra work.

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Fabian Bernard
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

''Yeah, and I'm fed up with your low skill management, so I quit''

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#9

"Hope you’re well-rested from your vacation!"

Meaning: Be prepared for all the work you ignored while on holiday. Here is your "To Do" list. The due date is today.

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#10

Rightsizing

Meaning: We are firing people, but it's all a part of a strategy, whatever the strategy is.

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Headless Roach
Headless Roach
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

*We're firing people, and adding their workload to those who remain.

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#11

"If you really think it’s a good idea…"

Meaning: I don't think it's a good idea. Or, if you plan to go ahead with this idea and it goes wrong, you will be the only one to blame.

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Kurichfield
Kurichfield
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's a shame how often people can't take a hint....and when they don't and you call them on it, you're being too blunt.

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#12

61 Corporate Buzzwords And Their Actual Meanings Risk-averse

Meaning: When management, who are the only ones permitted to be chicken, refer to you as being "too chicken."

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Kurichfield
Kurichfield
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

after telling me that they should be prepared to be staff challenged

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#13

"I thought you were handling this"

Meaning: Basically, your boss messed up and forgot something they were supposed to do.

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#14

Buy-In

Meaning: Trying to see if everyone agrees on a concept they had no involvement in.

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Helena
Helena
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Get a group with no vision to sign off on your vision, while the group doesn't want any kind of change.

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#15

Double-check

Meaning: Although I haven't checked on this yet, I want to "double check" because this check is more important than usual.

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#16

61 Corporate Buzzwords And Their Actual Meanings Multi-tasking

Meaning: You better work hard and fast on multiple things at once. Also, could you bring me a coffee?

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Theoretical Empiricist
Theoretical Empiricist
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

"Doing twice as much as you should half as well as you ought." (a demotivator at Despair.com)

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#17

Negative growth

Meaning: We are losing money, so don't expect a raise anytime soon.

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#18

"I saw your e-mail sent out to..."

Meaning: You forgot to include me in an email.

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#19

"Business is slow this year"

Meaning: You're not getting a promotion or a raise anytime soon.

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#20

61 Corporate Buzzwords And Their Actual Meanings Revisit

Meaning: Let's leave this project for… never.

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#21

"I think my idea solves the problem"

Meaning: It's your boss's idea; thus, it's the only right idea.

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#22

Empower

Meaning: Higher-ups frequently deploy it to ask the employee to work harder, although the employee may find it condescending.

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Headless Roach
Headless Roach
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

*I'll micromanage you, but if the task fails - feel 'empowered' to take the blame

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Suby
Suby
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Frequently used in education initiatives, especially those that are highly prescriptive, delivered by expensive consultants who know less than the teachers, and everything but empowering.

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#23

61 Corporate Buzzwords And Their Actual Meanings Drinking the Kool-Aid

Meaning: Blindly pursuing the cause.

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kitten levels tokyo
kitten levels tokyo
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1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Sounds best if said in a voice oozing condescension like a battery drips acid.

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#24

"You’ll be able to focus on a critical area for us"

Meaning: You're getting demoted.

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#25

Mission critical

Meaning: You better only focus on this and nothing else.

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sofacushionfort
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

..until the next shiny thing catches upper management’s attention

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#26

"Who’s budget is this coming out of?"

Meaning: You've already lost the debate.

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#27

61 Corporate Buzzwords And Their Actual Meanings New Normal

Meaning: It's not normal, just an unpleasant new reality.

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#28

Competitive salary

Meaning: Salary that is not competitive at all. Just a vague estimate of an employee's anticipated pay.

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#29

Giving 110%

Meaning: You work hard, but must work even harder.

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#30

"Work hard, play hard"

Meaning: You only get to experience the first part of the phrase.

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#31

61 Corporate Buzzwords And Their Actual Meanings Ecosystem

Meaning: A fancy term for "working together."

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#32

"Start building consensus"

Meaning: One of your coworkers complained that you didn't include them in your ideas.

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#33

"Put out some feelers"

Meaning: We are not prepared to take any kind of action yet are curious to learn more.

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kitten levels tokyo
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1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Meaning: We view you as an insect. Use your antenna to see what’s going on.

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#34

61 Corporate Buzzwords And Their Actual Meanings Human capital

Meaning: Term used to refer to the company's employees.

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#35

Killing it

Meaning: Doing great work. Or, literally, harming one's mental and physical health by giving your all into a job.

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#36

Leverage synergies

Meaning: Following the merger, there will be downsizing.

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kitten levels tokyo
kitten levels tokyo
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I don’t doubt these phrases are used, but they really do sound like they came out of a Random Word Generator.

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#37

Rockstar

Meaning: The term frequently employed in job postings that call for repetitive, meticulous work.

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indiecognition
indiecognition
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

"Someone who makes the company look good by sacrificing their own well-being"

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#38

61 Corporate Buzzwords And Their Actual Meanings The enterprise

Meaning: A risky project or undertaking that will require you to grow some balls.

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#39

"Make it disruptive!"

Meaning: This better be big and make us money ASAP.

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Fabian Bernard
Fabian Bernard
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I hate that trendy word. Just old world sharks in cool disguise. F..k them

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#40

"Give you a heads up"

Meaning: Your coworker will tip you about something big and nasty.

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#41

61 Corporate Buzzwords And Their Actual Meanings Matrix structure

Meaning: You work for multiple bosses, and they can all command you.

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sofacushionfort
sofacushionfort
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1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Each oblivious to to anyone but themselves, but that’s OK: you can keep a lot of plates spinning

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#42

"It's just business"

Meaning: The phrase to employ if you want to feel less bad about your behavior.

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#43

Family

Meaning: Your organization trying to sell its culture as family-like can be annoying.

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Jody Whitmarsh
Jody Whitmarsh
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We're family now? So I can borrow your car and bring it back with an empty tank... and how stocked is your fridge?

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#44

One-off

Meaning: This is the only time you may get encouragement from your boss.

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#45

61 Corporate Buzzwords And Their Actual Meanings Deep dive

Meaning: A total immersion in the nuances.

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#46

Move the goalposts

Meaning: Changing the conditions at the halfway point of the project.

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Garritt VS
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1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

More accurately, it's changing the conditions that count as SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION. Also called "scope creep" in IT and project management.

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#47

Pivot

Meaning: A change in the direction or strategy of a business.

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#48

"They’re early adopters"

Meaning: You better not speak highly of early adopters.

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Jp@nda
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Sorry but what the f**k are these self absorbed tw@ts talking about? But more importantly, who gives a flying f**k about all of this office lingo? These kids nowadays, can't f***ing understand a word they're saying

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#49

61 Corporate Buzzwords And Their Actual Meanings Thought leader

Meaning: Good compliment to give your boss if you want to ask for a raise (raise not guaranteed).

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#50

Strategic fit

Meaning: We hope the new corporate partner will prevent the company from going bankrupt.

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#51

"Think outside the box"

Meaning: If you wanted to "think outside the box," you would have to refrain from saying that.

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Headless Roach
Headless Roach
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1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Some people need to learn thinking inside the box first. You know, walking before running.

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#52

Synergy

Meaning: Collaboration between two or more teams, initiatives, or businesses.

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#53

61 Corporate Buzzwords And Their Actual Meanings Win-Win

Meaning: When there is no apparent downside, it's a win all around!

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#54

Sweet spot

Meaning: An exclusive target market for the business that cannot be reached.

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#55

Insourcing

Meaning: You have a better than 50 percent chance of getting promoted.

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#56

"Move the needle!"

Meaning: I don't want to do this, so you do it instead.

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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Move the needle is a sports-term taken to mean here making progress…

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#57

61 Corporate Buzzwords And Their Actual Meanings Growth Hacking

Meaning: It's unnecessary to make any "hacking" reference while setting new goals.

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kitten levels tokyo
kitten levels tokyo
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

These are so confusing and irritating I think I would rather operate a manure museum than work in the corporate world.

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#58

Freemium

Meaning: A tactic that involves providing a product's "basic" version for free.

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#59

Bandwidth

Meaning: There isn't enough time, space, or funds.

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#60

Ideate

Meaning: Act of creating a concept or coming up with an idea.

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Vix Spiderthrust
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1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is an unusual but perfectly valid word. Perhaps most commonly seen in the phrase "suicidal ideation".

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#61

61 Corporate Buzzwords And Their Actual Meanings Boots on the ground

Meaning: Military slang for allocating work to staff that will for sure make some people cringe.

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