These dictionaries are available in many different formats. They can be purchased in the typical hard back or paperback versions or, like many other books today, online. For the same price as a book purchased in a store, the commercial dictionaries on line are very popular.

Without a large, heavy piece of material that will be used frequently weighing down the traveler, all the same information is contained in e-format, accessible from anywhere at anytime; there no chance of "forgetting it at home" or having it lying on your desk at work while you're standing in line to board your plane.

Free dictionaries are also available on line but do not truly address the words used in the world of international business.. While most commonly used words will be included, business specific terms are generally left out. These online dictionaries can also be accessed online and they are available at no cost to the subscriber.

For this reason, a business traveler might actually incorporate both during his or her visit to another country for the purpose of business. Because "business" can mean anything from meetings in the board room to meetings at a restaurant, it would be wise to make sure you have an available version on something small enough that can be carried inconspicuously. This may be an auspicious time to "WOW" your audience and without the proper words to convey your thoughts, things can flop rather quickly.

For the purposes of writing a report, these commercial dictionaries can add validity to what you are writing about. There are few places that will guide you in sentence structure, the proper use of grammar and the difference between adverbs and adjectives as completely as the commercial dictionaries. While considered an invaluable tool by the international business traveler, students and professors find interesting and new ways to convey to their audience an authenticity in the classroom.

Knowledge of the words used in international business can also add to the confidence others place in you as an affiliate. No one wants to do business with someone, let alone so far away, that can't convince them that there is a clear and concise understanding of what is expected.

Pricing a commercial dictionary should be done in many places. The online versions, while not any more than the hardback, may or may not include appendices, indexes and other contents that are valuable when trying to look up a piece of material. Many dictionaries include conversion tables, currency conversions, common names, foreign words and phrases, nations of the world and state or country facts. These may be included in free online dictionaries but not in their commercial counterparts.

The next time you are considering a trip to a foreign country or, if you've just been told that you will be representing your company overseas, research the advantages of having a commercial or free online dictionary on your own. The benefits that you will derive from one or the other can only be decided by you.