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Synonyms

corporate

American  
[kawr-per-it, -prit] / ˈkɔr pər ɪt, -prɪt /

adjective

  1. of, for, or belonging to a corporation or corporations: She considers the new federal subsidy just corporate welfare.

    a corporate executive;

    She considers the new federal subsidy just corporate welfare.

  2. forming a corporation.

  3. pertaining to a united group, as of persons.

    the corporate good.

  4. united or combined into one.

  5. corporative.


noun

  1. a bond issued by a corporation.

corporate British  
/ ˈkɔːpərɪt, -prɪt /

adjective

  1. forming a corporation; incorporated

  2. of or belonging to a corporation or corporations

    corporate finance

  3. of or belonging to a united group; joint

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of corporate

First recorded in 1350–1400 for verb senses; 1505–15 for adjective senses; Middle English corporaten, from Latin corporātus, past participle of corporāre “to incorporate”; see incorporate 1

Explanation

Corporate means having to do with a corporation. Playing golf can be a part of corporate culture. A corporate jet is one owned by the company and used for company business. When people refer to corporate as a noun, as in "I have to ask corporate," it's actually just a shortening of "corporate headquarters." People tend to be on their best behavior at work, where money and advancement are on the line. Therefore, corporate behavior is often associated with being eager to please those in authority.

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Vocabulary lists containing corporate

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

He isn’t sweating the threat of greater corporate interest in these sorts of products.

From MarketWatch Aug. 22, 2026

Pacific Coast is registered in the Santa Barbara County, Calif., town of Orcutt through a corporate structure that includes a parent entity in Delaware by the same name.

From The Wall Street Journal Aug. 21, 2026

Some critics have pointed out that the company is backed by private equity firms and is taking over local storefronts while directing profits back to veiled corporate headquarters.

From Los Angeles Times Aug. 21, 2026

"We think that this is a thinly traded area of the market, that we're in August, and there's been a lot of corporate issuance that's influenced the market," Bessent said.

From Barron's Aug. 21, 2026

And Eldon and Rachael Rosen consisted as spokesmen for that corporate entity.

From "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Philip K. Dick

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