parent company

American  

noun

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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Etymology

Origin of parent company

First recorded in 1865–70

Example Sentences

As a special favor to his subjects, the Grand Duke of Luxembourg granted members of the public a 20% stake in the exchange’s parent company.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 6, 2026

The parent company of Ticketmaster reported a first-quarter loss of $1.85 per share, which was wider than the loss of 35 cents per share Wall Street was expecting, according to FactSet.

From Barron's • May 5, 2026

The same mailing address is also listed on the 2024 IRS filing for Dallas Express Media, the parent company for the conservative online site Dallas Express, of which Bennett is publisher.

From Salon • May 3, 2026

This week: Google’s parent company Alphabet announced an incredible $110 billion in first-quarter revenue thanks, in part, to the computing needs of the AI boom.

From Slate • May 2, 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