Words and phrases to avoid

Legend

Plain: These terms are often misused in place of a more accurate or plain alternative. Avoid these terms, except where they are truly the best for the context.
Red: These terms are jargon, needlessly complex, pretentious, or just plain nonsense. Do not use them unless you have a very good reason.

Problematic word/phrase	Alternatives that might fit
action (as a verb)	do; work on
artefact	document; file; whatever it is that you actually mean!
combat	deal with; tackle; address
customer	Use this only where it is accurate for the context, and take care to distinguish between the end-customer and other customers in the supply chain. + Otherwise use the most appropriate term for the context (user; reader; patient; complainant; citizen).
deploy	set up; use; provide
dialogue	talks; conversation; discussion
disincentivise	deter; discourage
enable	empower; allow; permit; provide the means
facilitate	ease; smooth; make possible
foster	Unless in the sense of raising children then use: encourage; inspire; support; promote
furthermore	also; and
going forward	in future
hitherto	until now; previously
henceforth	from now on; in future
impact (as a verb)	affect
impacts (as a noun)	effects
initiate	start
in order to	to
in the past	previously; before; until now
key	Unless in the sense of locking or unlocking something then use: main; primary; central; core, crucial; vital; important
leverage	use
notwithstanding	even so
moreover	besides
outcomes	results; goals
overarching	overall; fundamental; underlying
pledge	promise
progress (as a verb)	work on
promulgate	promote
ramp up; ramp down	increase/decrease; enlarge/reduce; grow/lessen
re-skill	train; re-train
robust	strong; forceful; tough; convincing
slim down	reduce; lessen
solution	Unless in the sense of a liquid or a specific answer to a defined problem, use: service; offering; tool; product
streamline	simplify
task (as a verb)	assign to; ask to; instruct to; delegate to
up-skill	train
upon	on
utilise	Unless in the distinct and usually more scientific sense of "use to best effect": use
visioning	visualising; imagining; planning

Problematic word/phrase

Alternatives that might fit

action (as a verb)

do; work on

artefact

document; file; whatever it is that you actually mean!

combat

deal with; tackle; address

customer

Use this only where it is accurate for the context, and take care to distinguish between the end-customer and other customers in the supply chain. + Otherwise use the most appropriate term for the context (user; reader; patient; complainant; citizen).

deploy

set up; use; provide

dialogue

talks; conversation; discussion

disincentivise

deter; discourage

enable

empower; allow; permit; provide the means

facilitate

ease; smooth; make possible

foster

Unless in the sense of raising children then use: encourage; inspire; support; promote

furthermore

also; and

going forward

in future

hitherto

until now; previously

henceforth

from now on; in future

impact (as a verb)

affect

impacts (as a noun)

effects

initiate

start

in order to

in the past

previously; before; until now

key

Unless in the sense of locking or unlocking something then use: main; primary; central; core, crucial; vital; important

leverage

use

notwithstanding

even so

moreover

besides

outcomes

results; goals

overarching

overall; fundamental; underlying

pledge

promise

progress (as a verb)

work on

promulgate

promote

ramp up; ramp down

increase/decrease; enlarge/reduce; grow/lessen

re-skill

train; re-train

robust

strong; forceful; tough; convincing

slim down

reduce; lessen

solution

Unless in the sense of a liquid or a specific answer to a defined problem, use: service; offering; tool; product

streamline

simplify

task (as a verb)

assign to; ask to; instruct to; delegate to

up-skill

train

upon

utilise

Unless in the distinct and usually more scientific sense of "use to best effect": use

visioning

visualising; imagining; planning