Oxford Business English Dictionary for Learners of English

a business idea or plan of action that is suggested: I'd like to put a business proposition to you. о He was trying to make it look like an attractive proposition, о As an investment proposition the stock is a disaster.

a business/commercial/financial proposition ♦ an attractive/a risky/viable proposition

proprietary /pra'praiatri; AmE-teri/ adjective [usually before noun]

3 relating to an owner or to the fact of owning sth: The company claims proprietary rights over the unique design.

proprietary 'trading (also .principal 'trading)

noun [u]

(Stock Exchange) trading in shares, bonds, etc. by a financial institution on its own behalf rather than on behalf of its customers

proprietor /pra'praiata(r)/ noun [c] (abbr prop.)

the owner of a business, a hotel, land or buildings, etc: Enquiries must be made to the proprietor, о a national newspaper proprietor о She is now the proprietor of her own electrical business. -» sole proprietor at sole proprietorship

(Law) the owner of a patent

proprietorship /pra'praiatajip; AmE -tarj-/ noun [u]

1 [u; sing ] the possibility that sth will happen: They had no business plan and no immediate prospect of generating any revenue, о The figures suggest that an economic slowdown is in prospect (= likely to happen). ■

2 [sing.] an idea of what might or will happen in the future: Starting your own business is a daunting (= frightening) prospect, о Faced with the prospect of being made redundant, staff agreed to a cut in pay.

3 prospects [pi.] the chances of being successful in the future: There were concerns about the company's financial prospects, о Job prospects (= the chances of getting a job) are gloomy.

4 [c] a person, company, etc. who is a possible customer: We follow up the most likely prospects first.

verb /pra'spekt; AmE 'pra:spekt/ [no obj]

to search an area for oil, minerals, gold, etc: to prospect for oil о (figurative) Well go to the trade exhibition to prospect for business. ► prospector /pra'spekta(r); AmE "pra:spektar/ noun [C]

prospective /pra'spektiv/ adjective [usually before noun]

expected to do sth or to become sth: a prospective buyer/client о On your resume, give prospective employers examples of what you can do for them. [syn! potential

expected or likely to happen: to forecast the prospective yield of an asset/investment о They are worried about prospective changes in the law.

1 [C. usually pi.] (BrE) an exam that you have passed or a course of study that you have successfully completed: What qualifications do you have? о In this job, experience counts for more than paper qualifications.

academic/educational/professional/technical/ vocational qualifications ♦ to acquire/gain/get/ obtain qualifications ♦ to have/hold qualifications

2 [C] a skill or type of experience that you need for a particular job or activity: Previous managerial experience is a necessary qualification for this job.

3 [U] the fact of passing an exam, completing a course of training or reaching the standard necessary to do a job: Students who do well on work experience may be offered employment following qualification.

qualified /'kwolrfaid; AmE 'kwa:l-/ adjective