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

See Examples For:

holding company

Meanwhile, family members are still making moves: Jane stepped down in late July as a manager of a key family holding company.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 5, 2026

Then, he later testified in court, he told Jane that if she was adding a fourth manager—or day-to-day operator—for a family holding company, he would be a good fit.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 5, 2026

The Del Vecchio family's Luxembourg-based holding company, Delfin, is the largest shareholder in the eyewear giant, with around 32.4 percent of its capital.

From Barron's ● Aug. 25, 2026

While the holding company can argue that it is not publicly traded, what happens there has a direct impact on shareholders of the listed Tata universe, she adds.

From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2026

Shortly after that odd encounter, he had a call from the insurance holding company White Mountains.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis

Related Words

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