company meaning
- An institution created to conduct business
"he only invests in large well-established companies"; "he started the company in his garage" - Small military unit; usually two or three platoons
- The state of being with someone
"he missed their company"
- companionship, fellowship, society - Organization of performers and associated personnel (especially theatrical)
"the travelling company all stayed at the same hotel"
- troupe - A social or business visitor
"the room was a mess because he hadn't expected company"
- caller - A social gathering of guests or companions
"the house was filled with company when I arrived" - A band of people associated temporarily in some activity
"the company of cooks walked into the kitchen"
- party - Crew of a ship including the officers; the whole force or personnel of a ship
- ship's company - A unit of firefighters including their equipment
"a hook-and-ladder company"
- Be a companion to somebody
- companion, accompany, keep company
Derived forms: companying, companies, companied
Type of: affiliate, army unit, associate, assort, band, circle, complement, consort, establishment, friendly relationship, friendship, full complement, institution, lot, mateship [Austral, NZ], organisation [Brit], organization, set, social affair, social gathering, social unit, unit, visitant, visitor
Part of: battalion, battle group
Encyclopedia: Company
[Business]
noun [C] (plural companies)
AFFILIATED COMPANY, ASSOCIATE COMPANY, ASSOCIATED COMPANY, CABLE COMPANY, CLOSE COMPANY, CLOSED COMPANY, CLOSELY HELD COMPANY, CREDIT COMPANY, DAUGHTER COMPANY, DUAL-LISTED COMPANY, FINANCE COMPANY, HOLDING COMPANY, INSURANCE COMPANY, INTER-COMPANY, INVESTMENT COMPANY, INVESTMENT TRUST COMPANY, LIMITED COMPANY, JOINT-STOCK COMPANY, MANAGEMENT COMPANY, MUTUAL COMPANY, OFF-THE-SHELF COMPANY, PARENT COMPANY, PRIVATE COMPANY, PRIVATE LIMITED COMPANY, PROPERTY COMPANY, PUBLIC COMPANY, PUBLIC LIMITED COMPANY, QUOTED COMPANY, REAL ESTATE COMPANY, REGISTERED COMPANY, RELATED COMPANY, SHELF COMPANY, SHELL COMPANY, SISTER COMPANY, SMALL COMPANY, STATUTORY COMPANY, STOCK COMPANY, TARGET COMPANY, TRADING COMPANY, UNLIMITED COMPANY, UNQUOTED COMPANY
a business organization selling goods or services, especially one that has been officially created (registered) in a particular country and is owned by shareholders:
They are a large insurance and investment company.
The company was founded in 1995.
She's been working for the same company for 15 years.
Four directors have resigned from the company.
The company is listed (= its shares are traded) on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange.
the Tata group of companies See note at BUSINESS, CORPORATION
a big/large/medium-sized/small company
◆ to create/establish/found/set up/start (up) a company
◆ to manage/operate/own/run a company
◆ to join/leave/resign from/work for a company
◆ to acquire/buy/sell/take over a company
◆ to dissolve/liquidate a company
◆ a company expands/grows/fails a company goes bankrupt/goes out of business/goes under
IDIOMS
take a company public; a company goes public
if you take a company public or a company goes public, it becomes part of a stock exchange and its shares can be bought and sold by the public:
Since the company went public, its stock price has soared from $12 to $75.
PART verb
MORE ABOUT
Forms of businesses
Most countries allow you to run a business in at least three different ways:
• as a sole trader (especially BrE) / sole proprietorship (AmE)
• as a partnership
• as a company (BrE) / corporation (especially AmE)
Important characteristics
SOLE TRADERS/SOLE PROPRIETORSHIPS
• few or no official procedures to follow
• the person starting the business is responsible for its debts
PARTNERSHIPS
• they can usually be established without following a formal procedure, although there is often a written agreement between the partners
• each partner is personally responsible for the debts of the business
• each partner can act as a representative of the business
COMPANIES/CORPORATIONS
• a number of official procedures to follow
• the company exists independently of its members and can last for ever
• the people who run the business can be different from those who own it
• the owners are responsible for a limited amount of the company's debts, equal to the value of their investment
See note at CORPORATION
[Economics]
A corporate enterprise that has a legal identity separate from that of its members; it operates as one single unit, in the success of which all the members participate. An incorporated company is a legal person in its own right, able to own property and to sue and be sued in its own name. A company may have limited liability (a limited company), so that the liability of the members for the company's debts is limited. An unlimited company is one in which the liability of the members is not limited in any way. There are various different types of company: a chartered company is one formed under Royal Charter. This was the earliest type of company to exist and they were influential in the development of both foreign trade and colonization; an example is the Hudson's Bay Company. Chartered companies, however, are now rare, unless a charter is required for prestige purposes, as it might be for a new university. A joint-stock company is a company in which the members pool their stock, trading on the basis of their joint stock. This differs from the earlier merchant corporations or regulated companies of the 14th century, in which each member traded with his own stock but agreed to obey the rules of the company.
A registered company, one registered under the Companies Acts, is the most common type of company. A company may be registered either as a public limited company or a private company. A public limited company must have a name ending with the initials 'plc' and have an authorized share capital of at least £50,000, of which at least £12,500 must be paid up. The company's memorandum must comply with the format in Table F of the Companies Regulations (1985). It may offer shares and securities to the public. The regulation of such companies is stricter than that of private companies. Most public companies are converted from private companies, under the re-registration procedure laid down in the Companies Act. A private company is any registered company that is not a public company. The shares of a private company may not be offered to the public for sale. The legal requirements for such a company are less strict; for example, there is no minimum issued or paid-up share capital requirement and small and medium-sized private companies need not file full accounts. A statutory company is a company formed by special. Act of parliament. These are generally public utilities that were either not nationalized (for example, certain water authorities) or that have been privatized (such as British Gas and British Telecom). Their powers and privileges depend upon the Act under which they were formed.
[Finance]
A proprietorship, partnership, corporation, or other form of enterprise that engages in business.
[Law]
An association of a number of individuals for the purpose of carrying on some legitimate business.
This term is not synonymous with partnership, though every such unincorporated company is a partnership.
Usage has reserved this term to associations whose members are in greater number, their capital more considerable, and their enterprizes greater, either on account of their risk or importance.
When these companies are authorized by the government they are known by the name of corporations.
Sometimes the word is used to represent those members of a partnership whose names do not appear in the name of the firm; as A. B. & Company.
Examples
More: Next- the company offered the job to someone else.
- the company was forced to pass its dividend.
- incapable management ruined the company.
- the trust is separated from the company.
- these big companies get everything they want.
