Online Business Thesaurus

If you're interested in improving your business communications skills, a thesaurus or other free online resources may be useful.

Why is Clear Communication Important?

Although clear communication is certainly important in everyday life, business correspondence requires an even greater attention to detail. For example:

• When communicating with your employees, you need to command authority and respect.
• When communicating with customers, you need to seem credible and intelligent.
• When communicating with representatives from other companies within your industry, you need to create a positive impression of your products and services.

Using an Online Thesaurus for Business Communication

Whether you work in the insurance industry or find yourself managing a successful hotel, you probably deal with many different types of business documents on a regular basis. You may be creating marketing brochures, company newsletters, project proposals, employee handbooks, or internal memos--documents that are clearly vital to the success of your company. However, even e-mail correspondence should always be written to convey a sense of professionalism. Always remember that everything you say and do can influence public perception of your company.

In many cases, a general thesaurus will be sufficient for your business communication needs. A thesaurus provides a number of alternative word choices, allowing you to create lively and interesting prose. If you find yourself prone to repetitious writing, remember that yourDictionary.com has Roget's Thesaurus built right into the word definitions. Simply enter a term in the search box to be taken to a page with a definition, pronunciation, and several synonyms.

However, if you find yourself struggling to prepare a particular document, using an online business thesaurus may give you the assistance you need. For example:

• The Washington Post has prepared a lengthy glossary of more than 1,250 common business terms used in a number of different industries. You can either search for a particular word or browse through the site's alphabetical index. As an added benefit, this site can function as both a dictionary and thesaurus.
• The New York Times offers a glossary of more than 2,500 business terms with detailed cross references and links to related words. The definitions were written by J. Paul Sticht, Professor of International Business at Duke University.
• At eMarketer.com, you can browse through a handy dictionary and thesaurus that defines both general terms as well as concepts relevant to online business operations. The site is fairly easy to use, although some links will take you to publications that are only available as part of a paid subscription to the site.

Industry-Specific Communications Needs

If you've been working in your field for several years, you're probably already well acquainted with the terms specific to your industry. However, you may still find it difficult to adequately explain these concepts to someone who is unfamiliar with your daily activities.

If you find yourself in search of a dictionary or thesaurus with terms related to your specific line of work, yourDictionary may be able to help. We've compiled a listing of Specialty Dictionaries that includes links to resources defining terms most often used in fields such as accounting, agriculture, economics, education, engineering, marketing, and publishing.

Other Business Communication Websites

Although an online business thesaurus can be useful in determining the most appropriate word choices for a particular document, there are other issues you must consider as well. To learn more about how you can enhance your business communications skills, visit the following websites:

• Inc.com, a resource for entrepreneurs, has a compiled a collection of informative articles on improving your business communications skills. Some of the topics covered include speechwriting, writing for the web, and organizing employee meetings.
• Writing that Works offers a number of resources for anyone interested in business communication, including a free email newsletter.
• Business Writing Help is a short presentation prepared by communications professors from Oregon State University that discusses memos, letters, proposals, reports, and other common business documents.

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