merger

[ mur-jer ]

/ ˈmɜr dʒər /

noun

a statutory combination of two or more corporations by the transfer of the properties to one surviving corporation.

any combination of two or more business enterprises into a single enterprise.

an act or instance of merging.

Nearby words

merganser, merge, mergee, mergenthaler, mergenthaler, ottmar, merger, mergui, mergui archipelago, mericarp, merida, meriden

Origin of merger

First recorded in 1720–30; merge + -er¹

Related forms

an·ti·merg·er, adjectivede·merg·er, nounpre·merg·er, adjectivepro·merg·er, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for demerger (1 of 2)

demerger

/ (diːˈmɜːdʒə) /

noun

the separation of two or more companies which have previously been merged

British Dictionary definitions for demerger (2 of 2)

merger

/ (ˈmɜːdʒə) /

noun

commerce the combination of two or more companies, either by the creation of a new organization or by absorption by one of the othersOften called (Brit): amalgamation

law the extinguishment of an estate, interest, contract, right, offence, etc, by its absorption into a greater one

the act of merging or the state of being merged

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

Culture definitions for demerger

merger

The union of two or more independent corporations under a single ownership. Also known as takeovers, mergers may be friendly or hostile. In the latter case, the buying company, having met with resistance from directors of the targeted company, usually offers an inflated (overmarket) price to persuade stockholders of the targeted company to sell their shares to it. Such mergers often have been financed by junk bonds.

Note

Especially common in the 1980s, hostile takeovers have become highly controversial. Some contend that they bring needed infusions of capital and efficiency to the targeted company. Others argue that, having borrowed heavily to finance the merger, the buyer is forced to sell valuable assets of the targeted company to pay off its debt.