stakeholder
Americannoun
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a person or group owning a significant percentage of a company's shares
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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
adjective
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of stakeholder
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.
Vocabulary lists containing stakeholder
Academic Vocabulary and Literary Terms, Unit 5
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Century 21 Accounting, 9e, Chapters 4-7
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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.
See Examples For:
In its letter to New South Wales Department of Planning, Goodman Group said since starting the planning process in March 2025, it had "undertaken extensive technical investigations, stakeholder engagement and community consultation".
From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2026
Jack Modrzejewski worked on the state and local affairs teams at LA28, supporting government relations and stakeholder engagement in preparation for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, according to his LinkedIn bio.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2026
It’s a nuclear option, a move without precedent at Volkswagen or the broader German corporate scene, where for years stakeholder capitalism has meant that decisions are driven by consensus among workers, regulators and shareholders.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026
“When you’re talking about BC2BC, you have a wonderfully strong foundation because of the investment and planning and stakeholder engagement within California that acts like a tethering,” she said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 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
The council urged the international community to "adjust further its engagement with any stakeholders in Afghanistan" with regard to human rights and fundamental freedoms for all Afghans.
From Barron's ● Oct. 5, 2026
“They basically dug their own grave,” Abbott said to ABC, blaming tech companies for moving too fast without consulting local stakeholders.
From Slate ● Sep. 28, 2026
The legislation followed more than a year of research and conversations with stakeholders.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2026
The 16-person seminar will examine the “complexity and the inevitable conflict and contestation that result” from colleges’ multipronged missions, shaped by stakeholders with many needs and interests, the syllabus said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026
To minimize this imbalance, potential participants in corrupt dealings must be made to feel that they are real and effective stakeholders in their societies.
From Crime and Corruption by Samuel Vaknin
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
