merger

[ mur-jer ]

noun

1. a statutory combination of two or more corporations by the transfer of the properties to one surviving corporation.
2. any combination of two or more business enterprises into a single enterprise.
3. an act or instance of merging:

   Astronomers say that the merger of galaxies can take a billion years.

4. Phonetics. the process or phenomenon whereby two distinct speech sounds come to be pronounced identically: for instance, the cot–caught vowel merger has taken place in some dialects of English.

merger

/ ˈmɜːdʒə /

noun

1. commerce the combination of two or more companies, either by the creation of a new organization or by absorption by one of the others Often called (Brit)amalgamation
2. law the extinguishment of an estate, interest, contract, right, offence, etc, by its absorption into a greater one
3. the act of merging or the state of being merged

merger

1. The union of two or more independent corporations under a single ownership. Also known as takeovers, mergers may be friendly or hostile. In the latter case, the buying company, having met with resistance from directors of the targeted company, usually offers an inflated (overmarket) price to persuade stockholders of the targeted company to sell their shares to it. Such mergers often have been financed by junk bonds .

Notes

Especially common in the 1980s, hostile takeovers have become highly controversial. Some contend that they bring needed infusions of capital and efficiency to the targeted company. Others argue that, having borrowed heavily to finance the merger, the buyer is forced to sell valuable assets of the targeted company to pay off its debt .

Other Words From

• an·ti·merg·er adjective
• de·merg·er noun
• pre·merg·er adjective
• pro·merg·er adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of merger¹

First recorded in 1720–30; merge + -er ¹

Example Sentences

The merger, if it comes off, would have major ramifications for the West.

From The Daily Beast

When the fast food giant announced a merger with a Canadian chain, politicians wasted no time applying the special sauce.

From The Daily Beast

On the surface, the Beyoncé/Jay-Z union/merger is business as usual.

From The Daily Beast

Such positive trends are not going to be threatened anytime soon, even if and when the Comcast-Time Warner merger happens.

From The Daily Beast

However, astronomers have spotted a few luminous black hole pairs, mostly in chaotic galaxies in the early stages of a merger.

From The Daily Beast

An example is the merger of a city government unit and a county government unit into a revised city government unit.

From Project Gutenberg

This was the first trust—what they call a merger—but it occurred in politics.

From Project Gutenberg

You understand, Mr. Robertson, that such an important merger can hardly be arranged at a moment's notice.

From Project Gutenberg

On the 26th another merger of the special interests was accomplished.

From Project Gutenberg

St. John says that this merger was made at the instigation of the Mine Owners.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• combination
• takeover
• tie up
• unification
• union