parent company

American  

noun

parent companies plural

1. a corporation or other business enterprise that owns controlling interests in one or more subsidiary companies (distinguished from holding company).

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parent company British  

noun

1. a company that owns more than half the shares of another company

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• parent companies
  plural

Etymology

Origin of parent company

First recorded in 1865–70

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

parent company

“Our capital position and liquidity remain strong, and our financial strength ratings are unchanged,” Group 1001, the insurers’ parent company, said in a statement.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026

The announcement of price cuts comes ahead of parent company Associated British Foods' plan to spin off the business onto the London stock market next year.

From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026

Its backers include CapitalG, the growth-venture fund of Google parent company Alphabet.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026

In June, Google parent company Alphabet announced it would raise up to $80 billion in stock to fund its AI efforts, with Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway committing $10 billion.

From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026

My team and I persuaded Darden Restaurants, the parent company behind chains like Olive Garden and Red Lobster, to make changes to the kinds of food it offered and how it was prepared.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama