company Hear it!

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.
company Quotes

Me'  re Ubu, tu es bien laide aujourd'hui. Est-ce parce que nous avons du monde? Mother Ubu, you are very ugly today. Is it because we have company?

—Jarry, Alfred

El pan comido y la compan‹  |¤a deshecha. With the bread eaten, the company breaks up.

—Cervantes, Miguel de

I†am admitted into the company of paper-blurrers.

—Sidney, Sir Philip

Men with secrets tend to be drawn to each other, not becausethey wanttosharewhatthey know but because they need the company of the like-minded, the fellow- afflicted.

—DeLillo, Don

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

I think modern educational theorists are inclined to attachtoomuch importancetothenegative virtue of not interfering with children, and too little to the positive merit of enjoying their company.

—Russell, Bertrand Arthur William Russell, 3rd Earl

The frolicsome company had begun to practise the ancient and now forgotten pastime of HighJinks.

—Scott, Sir Walter

In company with several other old ladies of both sexes.

—Dickens, CharlesJohn Huffam

The waves beside them danced; but they Out-did the sparkling waves in glee: A poet could not but be gay, In such a jocund company: I gazedöand gazedöbut little thought What wealth the show to me had brought.

—Wordsworth,William

Shall I leave all this constant company, And follow headlong, wild uncertain thee?

—Donne,John

I live in company with a body, a silent companion, exacting and eternal.He it iswho notesthat individuality whichistheseal oftheweakness ofourrace.Mysoul has wings, but the brutal jailer is strict.

—Delacroix, (Ferdinand Victor) Euge'  ne

No man will be a sailor who has contrivance enough to get himself into jail; for being in a ship is being in a jail, with the chance of being drowned† A man in a jail has moreroom, better food, and commonly bettercompany.

—Johnson, Samuel known as Dr Johnson

'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

We are the only company whose assets all walk out the gates at night. 562

—Mayer, Louis B(urt) originally Eliezer Mayer

For years I thought what was good for our country was good for General Motors, and vice versa. The difference did not exist.Our company is too big. It goes with the welfare of the country.

—Wilson, Charles called 'Engine Charlie'

A good many times I have been present at gatherings of people who†are thought highly educated and who have†been expressing their incredulityat the illiteracy of scientists.Once or twice I have been provoked and have asked the company how many of them could describe the Second Law of Thermodynamics. The response was cold: it was also negative.

—Snow, C(harles) P(ercy), 1st Baron

One evening in October, when I was one-third sober, An'taking home a'load' with manly pride; My poor feet began to stutter, so I lay down in the gutter, And a pig came up an' lay down by my side. Then we sang 'It's all fair weather when good fellowsget together,' Till a lady passing by was heard to say: 'You can tell a man who boozes by the company he chooses', And the pig got up and slowly walked away.

—Burt, Benjamin Hapgood

In married life three is company and two none.

—Wilde, Oscar Fingal O'FlahertieWills

Feware qualified to shine in company; but it is in most men's power to be agreeable.

—Swift,Jonathan

We are all going to heaven, and Vandyke is of the company.

—Gainsborough,Thomas

I, too, sing America. I am the darker brother. They send me to eat in the kitchen When company comes. But I laugh And eat well, And grow strong.

—Hughes, (James Mercer) Langston

Tomorrow I'll sit at the table When company comes Nobody'll dare Say to me, 'Eat in the kitchen' Then.

—Hughes, (James Mercer) Langston

   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

I love good creditable acquaintance; I love to be the worst of the company.

—Swift,Jonathan

He showed me his bill of fare to tempt me to dine with him; poh, said I, I value not your bill of fare, give me your bill of company.

—Swift,Jonathan