Ключевое слово: «euphemisms»

The article examines the evolution of euphemisms in Business English: from a tool of etiquette and reducing psychological stress to a full-fledged mechanism for perception management and corporate control. Using the example of terms denoting the dismissal of employees (to fire → downsizing → rightsizing → to let someone go), the author demonstrates how softening vocabulary gradually turns into a way of distorting reality, dehumanizing processes and avoiding responsibility for unpopular decisions. Special attention is paid to three linguistic techniques – nominalization, passive voice, and vocabulary technicalization – that allow businesses to mask undesirable phenomena and maintain a public image. It is concluded that for a modern specialist in international communication, the key competence is not just the use of “safe” phrases, but the ability to recognize manipulative overtones behind outwardly correct formulations.