stakeholder

American  

[steyk-hohl-der] / ˈsteɪkˌhoʊl dər /

noun

1. the holder of the stakes of a wager.

2. a person or group that has an investment, share, or interest in something, as a business or industry.

3. Law. a person holding money or property to which two or more persons make rival claims.

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stakeholder British  

/ ˈsteɪkˌhəʊldə /

noun

1. a person or group owning a significant percentage of a company's shares

2. a person or group not owning shares in an enterprise but affected by or having an interest in its operations, such as the employees, customers, local community, etc

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adjective

1. of or relating to policies intended to allow people to participate in and benefit from decisions made by enterprises in which they have a stake

   a stakeholder economy

Etymology

Origin of stakeholder

First recorded in 1700–10; stake ² + holder

Explanation

A stakeholder is a person interested in a company. If you become CEO of a big company, you'll have to keep the interests of every stakeholder in mind, from the employees to the customers to the investors, whenever you make decisions. Supposedly people used to gamble by putting their money on a wooden stake, and a person called a stakeholder who wasn't involved in the betting would supervise to make sure everything was fair. No one uses wooden stakes anymore, but we still call the person who holds the money and monitors the betting the stakeholder, and people often use stake to mean "risk," or "investment." That's why someone who is invested in a business is also called a stakeholder.

Example Sentences

That is probably the biggest lesson for all of us: being a stakeholder, paying our taxes and contributing to the wider community.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 30, 2026

Law enforcement objections shaped the changes the governor’s legislative office sought just days before the Sept. 5 amendment deadline, according to a stakeholder involved in those discussions.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 4, 2026

Potentially, they ranked company culture third as they may place a high value on internal stakeholder buy-in and unanimity of purpose.

From Barron's • Feb. 3, 2026

Gouldthorpe, the regional stakeholder and business manager for Hull and East Yorkshire and York and North Yorkshire, said confidence levels in hospitality, retail and leisure were lower than any other sector.

From BBC • Feb. 1, 2026

Social capital usually means emotional support and encouragement from a reliable stakeholder in one’s life, an asset commonly associated with marriage that is itself a form of wealth.

From "Class Matters" by The New York Times

Related Words

• collaborator
• colleague
• partner
• shareholder