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company Definition

com·pany (kum′pə nē)

noun pl. -·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

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

transitive verb -·nied, -·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

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.

company Law Definition

n

A group of individuals, such as an association, corporation, partnership, or union, associated for the purpose of carrying out, maintaining, or performing a commercial or industrial enterprise.
holding company
A company, usually a corporation, organized to influence or control other companies by such means as owning large amounts of stock in other corporations. See also company.
joint stock company
An unincorporated company whose owners pool capital into a common fund in exchange for a number of shares proportionate to their respective investments. However, unlike a partnership, the shares can be transferred without the express consent of the other owners and, unlike a corporation, the owners are personally liable to the company’s creditors if the company cannot pay its bills. See also company.
limited company
A company, usually a corporation, in which the investor or shareholder’s liability is limited to the amount invested or the value of the person’s share.
limited liability company (LLC)
An entity that blends features of a corporation and a partnership, but is neither; owners are called “members” and may consist of one or more individuals, corporations, or even other LLCs. Members have some of the same protection as stockholders in a corporation, especially, no personal liability.
parent company
A corporation that owns more than half of the voting stock of another corporation. Also called parent corporation. See also affiliate, company, corporation, and subsidiary.
personal holding company
A holding company, usually with a limited number of shareholders and with over half of its income coming from such passive sources as capital gains, dividends, interest, rent, and royalties. The income is subject to a special tax in order to prevent individuals from avoiding income taxes by placing their assets in such corporations.
trust company
A company, usually incorporated, that provides trust services, such as administering trusts and managing funds and property held in trust. Trust companies sometimes operate as commercial banks as well.

company Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • base: Huge areas are owned by large companies based in the West.
  • limit: A domestic resident company limited by shares is usually formed for the purposes of carrying on local business.
  • register: Finally, registering a company with your spouse allows you to split your income which almost always results in a lower tax bill.
  • incorporate: Zurich Insurance Company a limited company incorporated in Switzerland.

Adjective modifier

  • limited: Forming a limited company with us could not be easier.
  • private: Every private limited company must have at least one shareholder.
  • pharmaceutical: Pharmaceutical companies are familiar with outside pressures, and know there are concerns about how they frame their priorities.
  • leading: Britain's two leading ballet companies are staging new productions this season, and have a lot to contend with.
  • large: Huge areas are owned by large companies based in the West.
  • small: The carpets are being recycled by small company Carpet Burns, started by Kelly Atkins.

Modifies a noun

  • formation: We offer a choice of Hong Kong company formation packages to suit your practice requirements.
  • secretary: In addition, the company secretary assists the company with filing annual returns to the Companies Registry.
  • incorporation: Hong Kong company incorporation normally takes 7 to 10 working days. Search name availability for your Hong Kong company.
  • registration: Company Registrations in England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, USA, Spain and Offshore.
  • director: Under Insolvency Legislation, disqualification orders can be made against company directors.

Noun used with modifier

  • insurance: To make sure marginal effect here they focus the insurance company.
  • liability: If you are operating as a limited liability company, this could take the form of share capital or director's loan.
  • oil: Gas through a oil companies have is to connect.
  • production: What can we offer you as a TV production company?
  • theater: Local theater companies will have a quality venue in which to work closely with their communities.