consignment

Definition

A business arrangement where goods are shipped to a retailer or seller who only pays after the items actually sell—basically "try before you buy" for businesses. It's the commercial equivalent of letting your friend borrow your clothes with the understanding they'll pay you if they decide to keep them. Popular in retail and logistics, it shifts inventory risk from buyer to seller in a delightfully anxiety-inducing way.

Example Usage

The art gallery operates on consignment, so artists don't get paid until someone actually buys their work—incentivizing everyone to befriend wealthy collectors.

Source: Common business terminology

Related Terms

Beginner

feasible

The diplomatic way of saying something could theoretically be done without committing to whether it should be done or if anyone actually wants to do it. This adjective lives in the sweet spot between "impossible" and "confirmed," giving planners wiggle room to sound positive without making promises. When consultants say something is feasible, they mean it's technically possible given unlimited time, budget, and patience.

💼 Corporate / Business

Beginner

strategizing

The act of making plans that sound impressive in meetings but may or may not survive contact with reality. The business world's favorite activity, involving whiteboards, buzzwords, and conviction that this time the plan will actually work. Can range from legitimate tactical planning to elaborate ways of avoiding actual work.

💼 Corporate / Business

Intermediate

expatriate

Someone living outside their native country, typically by choice for work or lifestyle, though historically it meant forced exile. Modern expats are usually corporate employees enjoying tax benefits abroad while complaining about local coffee. The verb form means to kick someone out of their country, though today's expats prefer 'international relocation' on their LinkedIn.

💼 Corporate / Business

Beginner

Circle Back

The corporate equivalent of saying "I'm absolutely never going to address this again but I want you to feel heard right now." A phrase that has killed more action items than any layoff in history.

💼 Corporate / Business

Intermediate

Rightsizing

Euphemism for layoffs that implies the company was the 'wrong size' before, not that they're cutting costs. Because 'firing people' doesn't focus group well.

💼 Corporate / Business

Intermediate

stranglehold

That crushing level of market dominance or control where competitors can barely breathe, let alone compete. It's the business world's version of a chokehold—legal, ruthless, and highly effective at maintaining power. When one company has a stranglehold on an industry, innovation goes to die and consumers learn to love whatever they're given.

💼 Corporate / Business

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Intermediate

covenant

A legally binding promise or restriction in a deed governing how property can be used, often imposed by developers to ma...