common stock

American  

noun

1. stock that ordinarily has no preference in the matter of dividends or assets and represents the residual ownership of a corporate business.

2. Animal Husbandry. stock that is not purebred.

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common stock British  

noun

1. the US name for ordinary shares

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Etymology

Origin of common stock

First recorded in 1840–50

Example Sentences

Vertical Aerospace announced new funding, including $50 million in common stock, up to $50 million in debt, and a $500 million equity line of credit.

From Barron's • Mar. 30, 2026

Restaurant Depot shareholders are expected to own about 16% of Sysco’s outstanding common stock when the deal closes, the people also said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026

After the market close, Avis filed an automatic regulatory filing for the offer and sale “from time to time” of common stock, par value $0.01 per share.

From Barron's • Mar. 27, 2026

Janus Henderson shareholders would receive $40 a share in cash and 0.25 shares of Victory Capital common stock under the new offer.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 17, 2026

It must have been no common stock of self-possession and self-complacency which enabled M. Thiers to present himself before the great Prussian Chancellor as a messenger of peace.

From Modern Leaders: Being a Series of Biographical Sketches by McCarthy, Justin

Related Words

• common shares
• ordinary shares