turnover

/ˈtɜːnəʊvə(r)/ (bre, ipa) · [tˈɚnˌovɚ] /ˈtɜːrnəʊvər/ (ame, ipa) · [tˈɚnˌovɚ] /ˈtərn-ˌō-vər/ (ame, mw)

turnover — noun

  • turnoversingular
  • turnoversplural

1. all the money a company receives from selling its products or services during a

1.名詞C1
釋義

all the money a company receives from selling its products or services during a set period, such as a month or a year

例句

The company reported a turnover of $12 million for the last financial year.

collocation: turnover of [amount]

The bakery had an annual turnover of just over £500,000 before taxes.

collocation: annual turnover

同義詞
  • revenue

    broader term covering all income before costs, while turnover specifically refers to sales value

  • sales

    more direct term for the act or volume of selling, less formal than turnover

  • gross income

    total earnings before deductions; more formal and accounting-focused

文法句型

turnover of [amount]

annual / monthly turnover

用法筆記

This sense is uncountable and usually appears with a modifier such as an adjective (annual, total, gross) or a prepositional phrase (turnover of + amount). Frequently used with verbs like report, achieve, increase, or double.

常見錯誤

❌The turnover of employees grew last year.' (meaning business revenue).
✅The company's turnover grew last year.
💡'turnover' meaning business revenue refers to the company itself, not employees.
❌I earned a high turnover from my shop.
✅My shop generated a high turnover.
💡The turnover is the total sales amount; it is generated or reported, not personally earned.

2. the speed at which workers leave an organisation and new workers are brought in

2.名詞C2
釋義

the speed at which workers leave an organisation and new workers are brought in to replace them

例句

The restaurant has a high staff turnover because the working hours are very long.

collocation: high staff turnover

Faisal noticed that employee turnover dropped after the company introduced flexible working.

collocation: employee turnover

同義詞
  • attrition

    more formal term focusing on natural reduction of staff over time

  • staff turnover

    more specific phrase; turnover on its own can refer to different things

  • churn

    informal term, often used for customers as well as employees

文法句型

turnover (of [number]%)

high / low turnover

staff / employee turnover

用法筆記

Commonly modified by high, low, or a percentage figure. Staff and employee are typical noun modifiers placed before turnover (staff turnover, employee turnover). This sense is often followed by among + group noun (turnover among nurses) or in + industry sector (turnover in retail).

常見錯誤

❌The turnover of products is too high.' (meaning people leaving).
✅The turnover of staff is too high.
💡Clearly specify staff or employees to avoid confusion with the goods sense.

3. how quickly products are sold from a store or warehouse and then replaced with n

3.名詞B2
釋義

how quickly products are sold from a store or warehouse and then replaced with new stock

例句

The bakery has a fast turnover on fresh bread, selling out by noon most days.

collocation: fast turnover (on something)

Kian keeps only a small stock because he relies on a quick turnover of goods.

collocation: quick turnover of goods

同義詞

文法句型

turnover (of something)

fast / quick / slow turnover

用法筆記

Often appears with an adjective describing speed (fast, quick, slow, rapid) and the preposition on + product category or of + stock. Unlike the BUSINESS sense, this sense focuses on the rate of sale and replacement cycle, not on monetary value.

常見錯誤

❌We need to increase the turnover of our employees.' (meaning products).
✅We need to increase the turnover of our stock.
💡Use 'stock' or 'products' to refer to goods being sold and restocked.

4. a small baked item created by placing a sweet filling, usually fruit, on one hal

4.名詞B1
釋義

a small baked item created by placing a sweet filling, usually fruit, on one half of pastry dough and folding the other half over the top to form a sealed pocket

例句

Lara bought an apple turnover from the café for her afternoon snack.

collocation: apple turnover

The pastry chef filled each turnover with cherry jam and a dusting of sugar.

同義詞
  • pastry

    broader category; not all pastries are turnovers

  • hand pie

    American term for a similar single-serving filled pastry

  • empanada

    a savoury Latin American turnover, typically fried or baked with meat or cheese filling

文法句型

[fruit] turnover

turnover filled with [ingredient]

用法筆記

Turnovers in this sense are countable. The type of filling typically precedes the word (apple turnover, cherry turnover). Savoury versions exist but are less common than sweet fruit turnovers. In American English, a turnover is similar to a handheld pie.

5. in basketball, American football, rugby, and similar sports, a situation where a

5.名詞B2
釋義

in basketball, American football, rugby, and similar sports, a situation where a player loses the ball to the opposing team through a mistake or a rule violation

例句

Andrew forced a turnover in the final minute, giving his team a chance to win.

collocation: force a turnover

The point guard had five turnovers in the first half, which hurt the team's performance.

同義詞
  • loss of possession

    more formal and descriptive; used in official game reports

  • giveaway

    less common synonym, used mainly in hockey and basketball broadcasts

反義詞
  • takeaway

    the act of gaining possession from the opposing team; the positive counterpart of a turnover

  • steal

    specific type of takeaway in basketball where a defender takes the ball from an opponent

文法句型

[number] turnovers

commit / force a turnover

用法筆記

Primarily used in North American sports commentary and analysis. Common verbs paired with this sense are force, commit, cause, record, and avoid. It is also used metaphorically in business contexts ('a political turnover') though this is rare.

turnover — adjective