dividend

American  

[div-i-dend] / ˈdɪv ɪˌdɛnd /

noun

• dividends
  plural

1. Mathematics. a number that is to be divided by a divisor.

2. Law. a sum out of an insolvent estate paid to creditors.

3. Finance.

   1. a pro-rata share in an amount to be distributed.

   2. a sum of money paid to shareholders of a corporation out of earnings.

4. Insurance. (in participating insurance) a distribution to a policyholder of a portion of the premium not needed by the company to pay claims or to meet expenses.

5. a share of anything divided.

   Synonyms:

   portion, allotment

6. anything received as a bonus, reward, or in addition to or beyond what is expected.

   Swimming is fun, and gives you the dividend of better health.

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dividend British  

/ ˈdɪvɪˌdɛnd /

noun

1. finance

   1. a distribution from the net profits of a company to its shareholders

   2. a pro-rata portion of this distribution received by a shareholder

2. the share of a cooperative society's surplus allocated at the end of a period to members

3. insurance a sum of money distributed from a company's net profits to the holders of certain policies

4. something extra; bonus

5. a number or quantity to be divided by another number or quantity Compare divisor

6. law the proportion of an insolvent estate payable to the creditors

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dividend Scientific  

/ dĭv′ĭ-dĕnd′ /

1. A number divided by another. In the equation 15 ÷ 3 = 5, 15 is the dividend.

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dividend Cultural  

1. A payment to the stockholders of a corporation from the corporation's earnings.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• superdividend
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• dividends
  plural

Etymology

Origin of dividend

First recorded in 1470–80; from Latin dīvidendum “thing to be divided,” neuter gerund of dīvidere “to separate”; see divide

Explanation

A dividend is a bonus. If you buy a cup of coffee and the shop owner throws in a free muffin, that's a dividend. Your charm and loyal patronage are paying dividends! If you own stock and your company has had a good year, you’ll probably get a dividend — a share of the profit the company pays to shareholders. You've probably also heard the word dividend in math class: if you've got 300 divided by 50, 300 is the dividend (and 50 is the divisor).

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

dividend dividends

So we screened all 26 companies in the S&P 500 software industry group for FCF yield, taking the idea a bit further by considering current dividend payouts.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 8, 2026

Still, the Chinese mobile services provider’s dividend commitment remains firm, they say, noting the management guides for its 2026 dividend payout ratio to be “stable to rising.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 7, 2026

Its above-average 2027 dividend yield of 5.6% and estimated 2026 and 2027 core profit growth of 18% and 7%, respectively, turn the analyst bullish on the stock.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 7, 2026

Yet with inflation still a problem, he said he’s now steering clients toward “boring” dividend stocks and suggesting they take some risk off the table after the big run-up in artificial-intelligence plays.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 6, 2026

He knew there were thousands more, but he stopped there—best to leave things on a dividend of three.

From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray

"It's not hyperbole to say the world wants what we have," he told AFP, calling diversification a "medium-term" strategy already paying dividends.

From Barron's ● Sep. 9, 2026

As the tone moves toward horror, though, the decision to make the host the story quickly stops paying dividends.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 5, 2026

A First Eagle value investor likes Noble, Kesko, and Becton Dickinson for their dividends and growth potential.

From Barron's ● Sep. 4, 2026

Tripling volumes, hitting annual release dates like clockwork, minimizing risky capital investments and returning more than $1 trillion to shareholders through dividends and buybacks helped Cook multiply Apple’s valuation 13 times during his tenure.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 31, 2026

Both of these decisions paid dividends the following year, when the prospects for an outright declaration of war against France looked virtually certain.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis

Related Words

• allowance
• bonus
• coupon
• gain
• premium
• proceeds
• remittance
• reward
• surplus