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Glite Dictionary
corporate jungle

corporate jungle

7.3
A very competitive workplace where people act harshly to get ahead
  • noun
  • Informal
translation icon : jungla corporativa
  • Stuart Ramsay's only real interest in life is his own survival in the corporate jungle.

Examples

  • This is what the corporate jungle is all about.

    Fiction book (2001)

  • In the corporate jungle, only the strongest teams can thrive and succeed.

  • She learned that navigating the corporate jungle requires both strategy and resilience.

  • Every day feels like a battle for survival in the corporate jungle of this industry.

Synonyms

jungle
vscorporate jungle
108 5.3

A situation with strong competition where only the strongest survive

is the same struggle focused within companies and offices
law of the jungle
vscorporate jungle
  • Informal
4 6.3

A situation where only the strongest people succeed without fair rules

is the same ruthless idea but applied to companies and markets
cutthroat business environment
vscorporate jungle
7.1

A business situation where companies compete very hard and may hurt competitors to win

is the same idea but limited to business and office life

Antonyms

warm atmosphere
1 2.8

A friendly, comfortable feeling that makes people feel welcome

colleagueship
6.1

Cooperation between people who work together

Surface Forms

corporate jungle singular
corporate jungles plural

Morphology

corporate + jungle

The meaning is built from 'corporate' (business) plus a metaphorical use of 'jungle' (a wild, competitive environment), so a learner who knows both words can plausibly infer a tough, competitive business setting. However, understanding depends on recognizing the metaphorical mapping from natural jungle to social/business dynamics, which is not purely compositional and may require some world knowledge or exposure.

Etymology

Corporate jungle may come from the image of the business world as a wild jungle, where people must 'survive' and 'compete' like animals. That's why it now means a tough and often unfair place in business.