golden share

British

noun

a share in a company that controls at least 51% of the voting rights, esp one retained by the UK government in some privatization issues

"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

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.

The government also holds a golden share in the recently acquired U.S.

From Barron's • Jan. 27, 2026

The U.S. government is the largest customer of many defense contractors, but it doesn’t have an equity stake or a golden share that can dictate board-level policies.

From Barron's • Jan. 9, 2026

The government was awarded a so-called "golden share", requiring it to be notified of any major changes to Royal Mail's ownership, headquarters location and tax residency.

From BBC • Apr. 13, 2025

It also called for supporters “to be given a golden share as part of a sale of the club.”

From Washington Post • Mar. 10, 2022

Reuters was not able to ascertain how many other data-rich firms authorities were seeking to take a golden share in.

From Reuters • Dec. 15, 2021

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023