capital stock

American  

noun

1. the total stock authorized or issued by a corporation.

2. the book value of the outstanding shares of a corporation, including retained earnings and amounts paid in by stockholders.

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capital stock British  

noun

1. the par value of the total share capital that a company is authorized to issue

2. the total physical capital existing in an economy at any moment of time

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Etymology

Origin of capital stock

First recorded in 1890–95

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

capital stock

The maker of ChatGPT will also hold a board designation right, as long as it owns more than 5% of outstanding capital stock.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026

A larger capital stock will support productivity gains and boost wages and employment over time.

From MarketWatch ● Apr. 7, 2026

"The conflict has damaged nearly one-third of Syria’s pre-conflict gross capital stock, with direct physical damages to infrastructure, residential buildings, and non-residential buildings estimated at $108 billion," the report said.

From Barron's ● Oct. 21, 2025

One reason is what he called "capital stock turnover."

From Scientific American ● Mar. 21, 2023

Now, then, the company has a capital stock of a million.

From San-Cravate; or, The Messengers; Little Streams by Charles Paul de Kock

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