East India Company
Americannoun
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the company chartered by the English government in 1600 to carry on trade in the East Indies: dissolved in 1874.
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any similar company, as one chartered by the Dutch (1602–1798), the French (1664–1769), or the Danes (1729–1801).
noun
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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
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any similar trading company, such as any of those founded by the Dutch, French, and Danes in the 17th and 18th centuries
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.
Recordings, paintings, manuscripts and more reveal how songs in Persian, Urdu, Classical Hindi and Punjabi spread throughout the Mughal Empire and across the network of the East India Company from the 16th century onward.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 6, 2026
The letter from the owner of the cargo, the East India Company, to the British government gives a breakdown of the tea destroyed on December 16, 1773 by American colonists.
From Barron's ● Jun. 22, 2026
Some also point to The Koh-i-Noor, seized by the British East India Company and now part of the Crown Jewels, with many Indians viewing it as stolen.
From BBC ● May 3, 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
The ship of the East India Company did not seem interested in the Astrea.
From "Carry On, Mr. Bowditch" by Jean Lee Latham
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