noun

turnover

/ˈtɜːrnəʊvər/ · say it: TER·noh·ver

total sales in a period; also staff replacement rate

In Business & Marketing

In more detail

1. (noun) the amount of money received from selling goods or services in a particular period

2. (noun) the rate at which employees leave a job and are replaced by others

3. (noun) a small pastry folded in half with filling inside

4. (noun) a loss of the ball to the other team in sports

Examples

1. The company had a turnover of $5 million last year.
2. High turnover in the restaurant industry makes it hard to train staff.
3. She bought an apple turnover from the bakery.

How to use turnover

Turnover has distinct meanings depending on context: in business, it refers to revenue or sales volume; in human resources, it describes the frequency of employee departures; in pastry, it is a specific baked good; in sports, it means losing possession. The business and HR senses are most common in professional contexts.

Common phrases

annual turnover
high turnover
staff turnover
rapid turnover
turnover rate
low employee turnover

Synonyms

revenue · sales · throughput · staff rotation · personnel replacement

Opposites

retention · employee loyalty

Word family

turn over

A common mistake

Learners often confuse turnover (revenue/sales) with profit; turnover is the total income from sales, not the remaining amount after expenses.

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