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Business English vocabulary · Numbers and Money

Like-for-like

Meaning in business english, with examples

adjectiveAdvanced term

In business english, like-for-like means: Comparing results on a matching basis so that changes in what is included do not distort the comparison.

In Turkish: karşılaştırılabilir bazda

How it is used

Used for sales and performance comparisons. Explain which locations, periods or other factors are held comparable; the term alone does not specify the method.

Example sentences

  1. The like-for-like figures exclude the three shops that opened this year.

    Removing new shops separates growth in existing operations from added locations.

  2. We need a like-for-like comparison before claiming that the new courier is cheaper.

    Prices must be compared for matching services rather than different packages.

Common collocations

  • a like-for-like comparison
  • like-for-like sales
  • year on yearCompared with the same period one year earlier; often shortened to YoY in reports and slides.
  • figuresNumbers that show amounts, results or statistics, especially official numbers about sales, costs or performance.

More terms: Numbers and Money

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