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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:

The arrests were carried out as part of Operation Perth - but they relate to an investigation that is separate to the force's corporate manslaughter investigation into NUH.

From BBC Jul. 18, 2026

Infantino has "crossed red line after red line", Sir Ed says, accusing him of "allowing corporate greed to exploit fans at will, destroying the integrity of the beautiful game".

From BBC Jul. 18, 2026

Texas has marketed itself as business-friendly by using tax breaks and tort reform to attract companies and by establishing its own courts to compete with Delaware’s position as the nation’s premier corporate hub.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 17, 2026

Solid corporate earnings, AI investments, labor shortages and expectations for Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s growth strategy are expected to support capital expenditures, he adds.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 15, 2026

Some of the private foundations’ publicity-shy directors quailed at becoming named as partners with a New Deal program detested by their corporate patrons.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

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