Glossary
Model Terms & Vocabulary
15 essential model terms with plain-English definitions: the vocabulary you’ll hear in training and on day one.
Key model vocabulary
These 15 terms come up constantly in model training, on the job and in interviews. Knowing them helps you follow instructions, document accurately and sound prepared.
- Agency commission
- Agency’s share of pay.
- Book
- Model portfolio.
- Buyout
- Payment for usage.
- Call time
- Start time.
- Casting
- Audition.
- Commercial
- Ad work.
- Comp card
- Model business card.
- Digitals
- Simple unedited photos.
- Editorial
- Magazine work.
- Fit model
- Model for garment fitting.
- Go-see
- Meeting with a client.
- Mother agency
- Primary agency.
- Runway
- Fashion show catwalk.
- Tear sheet
- Published page.
- Usage
- Where photos are used.
Practice these terms
Test yourself with the free Model practice test: it includes vocabulary questions built from this list. For a complete course, see Model training.
Browse terms from every career in our career glossary.