corporate
Americanadjective
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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.
-
forming a corporation.
-
pertaining to a united group, as of persons.
the corporate good.
-
united or combined into one.
noun
adjective
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forming a corporation; incorporated
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of or belonging to a corporation or corporations
corporate finance
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of or belonging to a united group; joint
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.
Vocabulary lists containing corporate
Body Language: Corp ("Body")
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Class Act
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The Skin I'm In
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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.
Oil prices above remained above $100 a barrel since then, raising concerns that inflation could remain elevated for longer and erode corporate margins as well as consumer demand.
From Barron's • May 20, 2026
That corporate focus, coupled with recent market-leading updates to its most advanced AI models, have helped Anthropic become the ascendant AI company.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 19, 2026
Potential offences under consideration include corporate gross negligence manslaughter, fraud, health and safety breaches and misconduct in public office.
From BBC • May 19, 2026
At minimum, the moment underscores how vulnerable even prominent satire has become to corporate and political power.
From Salon • May 19, 2026
If I died, I didn’t want people remembering me for the stacks of legal briefs I’d written or the corporate trademarks I’d helped defend.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
