holding company

American  

noun

Finance.

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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Etymology

Origin of holding company

First recorded in 1905–10

Example Sentences

James was Burden’s colleague, a senior associate who at the time was handling, with Burden’s help, the IPO for an internet holding company.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 31, 2026

The Bank of America, whose global headquarters are in North Carolina, is a multinational investment bank and financial services holding company.

From Barron's • Mar. 29, 2026

Its intermediate holding company HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering is also downgraded to neutral from buy, with its target price cut by 33% to 410,000 won.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026

Powerus, a drone roll-up company based in West Palm Beach, Fla., is merging with a publicly traded golf-course holding company backed by the Trumps, Powerus executives said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 9, 2026

He generally liked me, tended to treat me, I thought, as he might some rising young VP in his Boston-based holding company, alternatingly coddling and browbeating me.

From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee

Related Words

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