shareholder
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
- nonshareholder noun
- shareholding noun
Etymology
Origin of shareholder
Explanation
A shareholder is someone who holds stock in a company. Shareholders partially own a company and can make more money when it does well. When you share, you're using or enjoying something with others. Similarly, shareholders own shares — also known as stocks — in a company, so the shareholders all own a little piece of the company. Therefore, shareholders want the company to succeed, so their shares will be worth more money. If one shareholder owns more than 50% of the shares, that person can control the company. Otherwise, the shareholders will have to work together to make decisions.
Vocabulary lists containing shareholder
Personal Finance and Financial Literacy - High School
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Personal Finance and Financial Literacy - Middle School
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The Industrial Revolution - Middle School and High School
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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.
CarMax KMX 2.44%increase; green up pointing triangle will add two members to its board following discussions with activist investor Starboard Value, which agreed to withdraw its director nominations ahead of the company’s annual shareholder meeting.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026
Securities filings show shareholder letters critiquing the termination fee from Zazove Associates and from Alejandro Malbran’s investment firm, Brancous, which owns about 1% of Braemar stock.
From Barron's • Apr. 9, 2026
Amazon.com CEO Andy Jassy’s annual shareholder letter made it clear that the company is fully committed to its artificial-intelligence initiatives, even as some investors balk at their steep cost.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 9, 2026
Earlier this week, shareholder Legal & General said it would support the resolution.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026
He became Avant!’s single largest shareholder; he pressed management for changes.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
