corporation

American  

[kawr-puh-rey-shuhn] / ˌkɔr pəˈreɪ ʃən /

noun

1. an association of individuals, created by law or under authority of law, having a continuous existence independent of the existences of its members, and powers and liabilities distinct from those of its members.

2. Corporation, the group of principal officials of a borough or other municipal division in England.

3. any group of persons united or regarded as united in one body.

4. Informal. a paunch; potbelly.

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corporation British  

/ ˌkɔːpəˈreɪʃən /

noun

1. a group of people authorized by law to act as a legal personality and having its own powers, duties, and liabilities

2. Also called: municipal corporation.  the municipal authorities of a city or town

3. a group of people acting as one body

4. See public corporation

5. informal a large paunch or belly

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corporation Cultural  

1. A business organization owned by a group of stockholders, each of whom enjoys limited liability (that is, each can be held responsible for losses only up to the limit of his or her investment). A corporation has the ability to raise capital by selling stock to the public.

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Grammar

See collective noun.

Other Word Forms

• corporational adjective
• multicorporation noun
• noncorporation noun
• subcorporation noun
• supercorporation noun

Etymology

Origin of corporation

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Late Latin corporātiōn- (stem of corporātiō ) “guild,” Latin: “physical makeup, build”; corporate, -ion

Example Sentences

When I got Bingo, these facts were framed to me as a kind of conspiracy—corporations exerting influence on vets, inducing them to sell ultraprocessed food to pet parents.

From The Wall Street Journal

They will also have to continue negotiations with the government over the future of the licence fee and BBC funding, and over the corporation's next royal charter.

From BBC

“The most consequential developments in technology are no longer happening in universities or government labs or corporations but within the context of fast-growing startups,” he contends.

From The Wall Street Journal

First, it’s home to a surprisingly large cadre of 17 major corporations, members of Fortune’s roster of the 500 largest U.S. companies.

From Los Angeles Times

In fact, it is cheaper for large corporations to borrow in India than in the eurodollar market.

From Barron's

Related Words

• business
• company
• enterprise