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company definition

com·pany (kum′pə nē)

noun pl. companies -·nies

  1. companionship; society to enjoy another's company
  2. a group of people; specif.,
    1. a group gathered for social purposes
    2. a group associated for some purpose, as to form a commercial or industrial firm a theatrical company, a manufacturing company
  3. a trade guild in the Middle Ages
  4. the partners whose names are not given in the title of a firm John Smith and Company
  5. a guest or guests; visitor or visitors
  6. a habitual associate or associates people are judged by the company they keep
  7. Mil. a body of troops; specif., the lowest administrative unit, as of infantry, normally composed of two or more platoons and a headquarters
  8. all of a ship's personnel, including the officers
    in full ship's company

Etymology: ME & OFr compaignie < VL compania, lit., group sharing bread: see companion

transitive verb companied -·nied, companying -·ny·ing

Archaic to accompany

intransitive verb

Archaic to associate (with)
company Idioms

keep company

  1. to associate (with)
  2. to go together; associate habitually: said esp. of a couple intending to marry

keep (a person) company

to stay with (a person) so as to provide companionship

part company

  1. to stop associating (with)
  2. to separate and go in different directions

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Alternate definitions:

business company definition - business

idioms company idiom

law company definition - legal

company Synonyms

company

n.

  1. Associates

    group, club, troop, fellowship; see organization 3.

  2. A group of people

    assembly, throng, band; see gathering.

  3. People organized for business

    partnership, firm, corporation; see business 4.

  4. Social intercourse

    friendly intercourse, society, companionship; see association 1, fellowship 1.

  5. A guest or guests

    visitor(s), caller(s), overnight guest(s), unexpected guest(s), boarder(s); see also guest 1. See syn. study at troop.

keep (a person) company

stay with, visit, amuse; see accompany 1, entertain 1, visit 2.

keep company

go together, go steady, associate with; see accompany 1, associate 1, date 2.

part company

separate, part, break with, fall out; see leave 1, oppose 1.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

company Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • limit: A domestic resident company limited by shares is usually formed for the purposes of carrying on local business.

Adjective modifier

  • limited: Forming a limited company with us could not be easier.

Modifies a noun

  • formation: We offer a choice of Hong Kong company formation packages to suit your practice requirements.

Noun used with modifier

  • insurance: To make sure marginal effect here they focus the insurance company.
company usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

company quotes

'My idea of good company, Mr Elliot, is the company of clever, well-informed people, who have a great deal of conversation; that is what I call good company.' 'You are mistaken,'said he gently,'that is not good company, that is the best.'

-Austen,Jane

A crowd is not company, and faces are but a gallery of pictures, and talk but atinkling cymbal, wherethere isno love. See Bible121:9.

-Bacon, Francis,Viscount St Albans

   Therefore with Angels, and Archangels, and with all the company of heaven, we laud and magnify thy glorious Name; evermore praising thee, and saying: Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of hosts, heaven and earth are full of thy glory: Glory be to thee,O Lord most High. Amen.

-Book of Common Prayer

company quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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"company." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 3 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/company>

APA Style

company. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 3rd, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/company

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