company
♦♦♦ com|pa|ny /k'ʌmpəni/ (companies)
1 [N-COUNT-COLL; N-IN-NAMES]
A company is a business organization that makes money by selling goods or services.
Sheila found some work as a secretary in an insurance company.
...the Ford Motor Company.
= firm
2 [N-COUNT-COLL; N-IN-NAMES]
A company is a group of opera singers, dancers, or actors who work together.
...the Phoenix Dance Company.
3 [N-COUNT; N-IN-NAMES]
A company is a group of soldiers that is usually part of a battalion or regiment, and that is divided into two or more platoons.
The division will consist of two tank companies and one infantry company...
4 [N-UNCOUNT]
Company is having another person or other people with you, usually when this is pleasant or stops you feeling lonely.
`I won't stay long.'--`No, please. I need the company'...
Ross had always enjoyed the company of women...
I'm not in the mood for company.
5
see also joint-stock company, public company
6 [PHRASE] V inflects
If you say that someone is in good company, you mean that they should not be ashamed of a mistake or opinion, because some important or respected people have made the same mistake or have the same opinion.
Mr Koo is in good company. The prime minister made a similar slip a couple of years back.
7 [PHRASE] V inflects
If you have company, you have a visitor or friend with you.
He didn't say he had had company.
8 [PHRASE] v-link PHR, PHR after v
When you are in company, you are with a person or group of people.
When they were in company she always seemed to dominate the conversation...
≠ alone
9 [PREP-PHRASE] PHR n
If you feel, believe, or know something in company with someone else, you both feel, believe, or know it. (FORMAL)
Saudi Arabia, in company with some other Gulf oil states, is concerned to avoid any repetition of the two oil price shocks of the 1970s.
10 [PHRASE] V inflects
If you keep someone company, you spend time with them and stop them feeling lonely or bored.
Why don't you stay here and keep Emma company?
11 [PHRASE] V inflects
If you keep company with a person or with a particular kind of person, you spend a lot of time with them.
He keeps company with all sorts of lazy characters.
12 [PHRASE] V inflects, pl-n PHR, PHR with n
If two or more people part company, they go in different directions after going in the same direction together. (WRITTEN)
The three of them parted company at the bus stop.
13 [PHRASE] V inflects, PHR with n, pl-n PHR
If you part company with someone, you end your association with them, often because of a disagreement. (FORMAL)
The tennis star has parted company with his Austrian trainer...
We have agreed to part company after differences of opinion.com|pa|ny car (company cars)
[N-COUNT]
A company car is a car which an employer gives to an employee to use as their own, usually as a benefit of having a particular job, or because their job involves a lot of travelling. (BUSINESS)com|pa|ny sec|re|tary (company secretaries)
[N-COUNT]
A company secretary is a person whose job within a company is to keep the legal affairs, accounts, and administration in order. (BRIT BUSINESS)fi|nance com|pa|ny (finance companies)
[N-COUNT]
A finance company is a business which lends money to people and charges them interest while they pay it back. (BUSINESS)hold|ing com|pa|ny (holding companies)
[N-COUNT]
A holding company is a company that has enough shares in one or more other companies to be able to control the other companies. (BUSINESS)joint-stock company (joint-stock companies)
[N-COUNT]
A joint-stock company is a company that is owned by the people who have bought shares in that company. (BUSINESS)list|ed com|pa|ny (listed companies)
[N-COUNT]
A listed company is a company whose shares are quoted on a stock exchange. (BUSINESS)pub|lic com|pa|ny (public companies)
[N-COUNT]
A public company is a company whose shares can be bought by the general public. (BUSINESS)pub|lic lim|it|ed com|pa|ny (public limited companies)
[N-COUNT]
A public limited company is the same as a public company. The abbreviation plc is used after such companies' names. (BUSINESS)shell com|pa|ny (shell companies)
[N-COUNT]
A shell company is a company that another company takes over in order to use its name to gain an advantage. (BUSINESS)
1 [N-COUNT-COLL; N-IN-NAMES]
A company is a business organization that makes money by selling goods or services.
Sheila found some work as a secretary in an insurance company.
...the Ford Motor Company.
= firm
2 [N-COUNT-COLL; N-IN-NAMES]
A company is a group of opera singers, dancers, or actors who work together.
...the Phoenix Dance Company.
3 [N-COUNT; N-IN-NAMES]
A company is a group of soldiers that is usually part of a battalion or regiment, and that is divided into two or more platoons.
The division will consist of two tank companies and one infantry company...
4 [N-UNCOUNT]
Company is having another person or other people with you, usually when this is pleasant or stops you feeling lonely.
`I won't stay long.'--`No, please. I need the company'...
Ross had always enjoyed the company of women...
I'm not in the mood for company.
5
see also joint-stock company, public company
6 [PHRASE] V inflects
If you say that someone is in good company, you mean that they should not be ashamed of a mistake or opinion, because some important or respected people have made the same mistake or have the same opinion.
Mr Koo is in good company. The prime minister made a similar slip a couple of years back.
7 [PHRASE] V inflects
If you have company, you have a visitor or friend with you.
He didn't say he had had company.
8 [PHRASE] v-link PHR, PHR after v
When you are in company, you are with a person or group of people.
When they were in company she always seemed to dominate the conversation...
≠ alone
9 [PREP-PHRASE] PHR n
If you feel, believe, or know something in company with someone else, you both feel, believe, or know it. (FORMAL)
Saudi Arabia, in company with some other Gulf oil states, is concerned to avoid any repetition of the two oil price shocks of the 1970s.
10 [PHRASE] V inflects
If you keep someone company, you spend time with them and stop them feeling lonely or bored.
Why don't you stay here and keep Emma company?
11 [PHRASE] V inflects
If you keep company with a person or with a particular kind of person, you spend a lot of time with them.
He keeps company with all sorts of lazy characters.
12 [PHRASE] V inflects, pl-n PHR, PHR with n
If two or more people part company, they go in different directions after going in the same direction together. (WRITTEN)
The three of them parted company at the bus stop.
13 [PHRASE] V inflects, PHR with n, pl-n PHR
If you part company with someone, you end your association with them, often because of a disagreement. (FORMAL)
The tennis star has parted company with his Austrian trainer...
We have agreed to part company after differences of opinion.com|pa|ny car (company cars)
[N-COUNT]
A company car is a car which an employer gives to an employee to use as their own, usually as a benefit of having a particular job, or because their job involves a lot of travelling. (BUSINESS)com|pa|ny sec|re|tary (company secretaries)
[N-COUNT]
A company secretary is a person whose job within a company is to keep the legal affairs, accounts, and administration in order. (BRIT BUSINESS)fi|nance com|pa|ny (finance companies)
[N-COUNT]
A finance company is a business which lends money to people and charges them interest while they pay it back. (BUSINESS)hold|ing com|pa|ny (holding companies)
[N-COUNT]
A holding company is a company that has enough shares in one or more other companies to be able to control the other companies. (BUSINESS)joint-stock company (joint-stock companies)
[N-COUNT]
A joint-stock company is a company that is owned by the people who have bought shares in that company. (BUSINESS)list|ed com|pa|ny (listed companies)
[N-COUNT]
A listed company is a company whose shares are quoted on a stock exchange. (BUSINESS)pub|lic com|pa|ny (public companies)
[N-COUNT]
A public company is a company whose shares can be bought by the general public. (BUSINESS)pub|lic lim|it|ed com|pa|ny (public limited companies)
[N-COUNT]
A public limited company is the same as a public company. The abbreviation plc is used after such companies' names. (BUSINESS)shell com|pa|ny (shell companies)
[N-COUNT]
A shell company is a company that another company takes over in order to use its name to gain an advantage. (BUSINESS)