holding company

American  

noun

Finance.

holding companies plural

1. a company that controls other companies through stock ownership but that usually does not engage directly in their productive operations (distinguished from parent company).

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holding company British  

noun

1. a company with controlling shareholdings in one or more other companies

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holding company Cultural  

1. A company that controls other companies.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• holding companies
  plural

Etymology

Origin of holding company

First recorded in 1905–10

Example Sentences

SK Inc. is the holding company of SK Group, a massive South Korean conglomerate.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 1, 2026

The holding company has a market capitalization of $8.5 billion, while the Knicks and Rangers are likely worth a combined $13 billion.

From Barron's • May 26, 2026

The team’s holding company is also planning to construct a riverside park and 2,000 housing units.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 25, 2026

He and his two younger sisters currently share control of a holding company that has a 95% stake in Mango.

From BBC • May 20, 2026

The short-term wins for the United States and United Kingdom included regaining limited access to Iran's oil by having a stake in a holding company called Iranian Oil Participants, or IOP.

From "Americanized" by Sara Saedi

Related Words

• conglomerate
• consortium
• corporation
• gang
• mob
• monopoly
• ring
• syndicate