East India Company

American  

noun

1. the company chartered by the English government in 1600 to carry on trade in the East Indies: dissolved in 1874.

2. any similar company, as one chartered by the Dutch (1602–1798), the French (1664–1769), or the Danes (1729–1801).

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East India Company British  

noun

1. the company chartered in 1600 by the British government to trade in the East Indies: after being driven out by the Dutch, it developed trade with India until the Indian Mutiny (1857), when the Crown took over the administration: the company was dissolved in 1874

2. any similar trading company, such as any of those founded by the Dutch, French, and Danes in the 17th and 18th centuries

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Example Sentences

The history of global corporations arguably began in 1600, when a royal charter from Queen Elizabeth I granted the British East India Company a monopoly on Asian sea trade.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 3, 2026

Full emancipation for enslaved people in the British Empire, excluding some exceptions like the East India Company, was granted by the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833.

From BBC • Oct. 8, 2025

The shocking history of the East India Company, which transformed itself from an international trading company into an aggressive colonial power between 1600 and 1874, is a classic example.

From Salon • Sep. 29, 2024

And they may have stowed away on Dutch and British East India Company trade routes to get to Europe about 270 years ago, according to scientists’ reconstruction and historical records.

From Seattle Times • May 20, 2024

I might not know where the harbor was that held the infamous ships of the British East India Company, but they sure did.

From "Glitch" by Laura Martin