Reading Theme:
Turnover: Definition, Usage, and Key Examples (2 meaning)
Meaning 1：total revenue (turnover)
turnover
/ˈtɜːrnəʊvər/
n.
The total amount of money a business earns from selling things in a period.
total revenue
➕
/ˈtəʊtl ˈrevənjuː/
n.
The gross amount of money received by a company from its business activities, typically from sales, within a specific accounting period.
📘 Details & Usage
📖 Root Explanation
From the verb phrase 'turn over', meaning to flip or transfer control.
💡 Mnemonic
Imagine flipping a pancake ('turning it over'); money and employees 'flip' in and out of a business.
📖 Example
The new cafe's turnover for the first month exceeded all expectations.
The cafe's first-month sales revenue was surprisingly high.
🔗 Collocations
annual turnover – The total revenue generated by a business over one year.
high turnover – Describes a business with a large volume of sales revenue.
turnover rate – A measure of how quickly inventory is sold or replaced.
🔄 Synonyms
revenue (n.) – Income generated from normal business operations.
sales (n.) – The total value of goods or services sold.
gross income (n.) – Total revenue before deducting expenses.
🚫 Antonyms
loss (n.) – A financial deficit where expenses exceed revenue.
🌱 Derivatives
turn over (v. phrase) – To generate a specific amount of money in sales.
📖 Cultural Story
Originating in the mid-16th century, it first described the act of 'upsetting'. By the 17th century, its commercial sense evolved from the concept of goods being sold and then 'turned over' (replaced) with new stock, later extending to workforce movement in the 19th century.
Meaning 2：staff turnover rate (turnover)
turnover
/ˈtɜːrnəʊvər/
n.
How often employees leave a company and are replaced by new people.
staff turnover rate
➕
/stæf ˈtɜːrnəʊvər reɪt/
n.
The rate at which employees leave a workforce and are replaced, often measured over a specific period like a year.
📘 Details & Usage
📖 Example
The tech company has a low staff turnover, which shows people enjoy working there.
The technology firm experiences infrequent employee departures, indicating good job satisfaction.
🔗 Collocations
high turnover – A situation where many employees leave their jobs frequently.
low turnover – A situation where employees tend to stay with the company for a long time.
employee turnover – The rate of departure of employees from an organization.
🔄 Synonyms
attrition (n.) – The gradual reduction of a workforce by employees leaving and not being replaced.
staff churn (n.) – Informal term for the rate of employee turnover.
🚫 Antonyms
retention (n.) – The ability of a company to keep its employees.
Wordbook
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