What does "deliverable" mean in business English?

A specific, tangible output that must be produced and handed over as part of a project, contract, or assignment.

"The deliverables for this project are a report, three design mockups, and a presentation."
"What are the key deliverables by end of Q2?"
"We need to agree on the deliverables before we start."

"Deliverables" specifies exactly what will be handed over - not the process or effort, but the actual outputs. It creates accountability and clarity in contracts and project plans.

• Deliverable = what you produce: "The final report is a deliverable."
• Milestone = a point in time or progress marker: "Completing the draft is a milestone."

Professional and project management language. Common in consulting, agencies, tech, and anywhere project-based work is discussed.

• "Output" - what is produced
• "What we need to produce" - plain version
• "End product" - the final result
• "Outcome" - broader, sometimes less tangible

Outside professional contexts it sounds jargon-heavy. With friends, just say "what do we need to do" or "what do we need to produce."