MEETINGS VOCABULARY

Absent: not present

Sentence: The vice president is absent due to unforeseen circumstances.

Accomplish: succeed in doing

Sentence: We have a lot to accomplish today, so let’s begin.

Adjourn: to have a pause or rest during a formal meeting or trial or close a meeting

Sentence: If there are no further comments, we will adjourn the meeting here.

Agenda: list of objectives to cover in a meeting

Sentence: Please forward the agenda to anyone who is speaking at the meeting.

Allocate: assign roles/tasks to certain people

Sentence: I forgot to allocate someone to bring refreshments.

Apologies: an oral or written expression of regret or contrition for a fault or failing

Sentence: Everyone is present today, so we can skip the apologies.

Ballot: a type of vote, usually in writing and usually secret

Sentence: Please fold your ballot in half before you place it in the box.

Brainstorm: to try to come up with as many ideas as possible

Sentence: Let’s take a few minutes and brainstorm some ways that we can cut costs.

Boardroom: A large meeting room often has one long table and many chairs

Sentence: The boardroom is reserved for a managers’ meeting, so we’ll have to meet in the lounge.

Conference: formal meeting for discussion, esp. A regular one held by an organisation

Sentence: Before the conference there will be a private meeting for board members only.

Deadline: The due date for completion

Sentence: The deadline for buying tickets to the conference is May 25th.

Designate: assign or appoint (someone) to a specified office or post.

Sentence: If no one volunteers to take the minutes I will be forced to designate someone.

Formality: a procedure (often unnecessary) that has to be followed due to a rule

Sentence: Everyone knows who is going to be the next vice president, so this vote is really just a formality.

Grievance: complaint or a strong feeling that you have been treated unfairly

Sentence: The first item on the agenda relates to a grievance reported by the interns.

Unanimous: in complete agreement; united in opinion

Sentence: The vote was unanimous to cut work hours on Fridays.

Wrap up: to complete or finish something

Sentence: Let’s wrap up here so that we can get back to our desks.