COMPANY

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does company mean? 

• COMPANY (noun)
  The noun COMPANY has 9 senses:

1. an institution created to conduct business

2. small military unit; usually two or three platoons

3. the state of being with someone

4. organization of performers and associated personnel (especially theatrical)

5. a social or business visitor

6. a social gathering of guests or companions

7. a band of people associated temporarily in some activity

8. crew of a ship including the officers; the whole force or personnel of a ship

9. a unit of firefighters including their equipment

  Familiarity information: COMPANY used as a noun is familiar.

• COMPANY (verb)
  The verb COMPANY has 1 sense:

1. be a companion to somebody

  Familiarity information: COMPANY used as a verb is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• COMPANY (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

An institution created to conduct business

Classified under:

Nouns denoting groupings of people or objects

Context example:

he started the company in his garage

Hypernyms ("company" is a kind of...):

establishment; institution (an organization founded and united for a specific purpose)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "company"):

open shop (a company whose workers are hired without regard to their membership in a labor union)

printing business; printing company; printing concern (a company that does commercial printing)

corporate investor (a company that invests in (acquires control of) other companies)

takeover target; target company (a company that has been chosen as attractive for takeover by a potential acquirer)

white knight (a company that is a friendly acquirer in a takeover)

Ld.; limited company; Ltd. (a company that is organized to give its owners limited liability)

holding company (a company with controlling shares in other companies)

service (a company or agency that performs a public service; subject to government regulation)

livery company (one of the chartered companies of London originating with the craft guilds)

bureau de change ((French) an establishment where you can exchange foreign money)

closed shop (a company that hires only union members)

union shop (a company allowed to hire nonunion workers on the condition that they will join the union within a specified time)

stock company (a company whose capital is represented by stock)

joint-stock company (a company (usually unincorporated) which has the capital of its members pooled in a common fund; transferable shares represent ownership interest; shareholders are legally liable for all debts of the company)

record company (a company that makes and sells musical recordings)

mover; moving company; public mover; removal company; removal firm (a company that moves the possessions of a family or business from one site to another)

think factory; think tank (a company that does research for hire and issues reports on the implications)

shipper (a company in the business of shipping freight)

food company (a company that processes and sells food)

pipeline company (a company that operates oil pipelines for the oil industry)

broadcasting company (a company that manages tv or radio stations)

auto company; car company (a company that makes and sells automobiles)

dot-com; dot com; dot com company (a company that operates its business primarily on the internet using a URL that ends in '.com')

drug company; pharma; pharmaceutical company (a company that makes and sells pharmaceuticals)

East India Company (an English company formed in 1600 to develop trade with the new British colonies in India and southeastern Asia; in the 18th century it assumed administrative control of Bengal and held it until the British army took over in 1858 after the Indian Mutiny)

electronics company (a company that makes and sells electronic instruments)

film company (a company that makes, advertises, and distributes movies)

furniture company (a company that sells furniture)

mining company (a company that owns and manages mines)

shipping company (a company that provides shipping services)

steel company (a company that makes and sells steel)

subsidiary; subsidiary company (a company that is completely controlled by another company)

transportation company (a company providing transportation)

distributor (a company that markets merchandise)

oil company (a company that sells oil)

packaging company; packaging concern (a company that packages goods for sale or shipment or storage)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Small military unit; usually two or three platoons

Classified under:

Nouns denoting groupings of people or objects

Hypernyms ("company" is a kind of...):

army unit (a military unit that is part of an army)

Meronyms (members of "company"):

platoon (a military unit that is a subdivision of a company; usually has a headquarters and two or more squads; usually commanded by a lieutenant)

Domain category:

armed forces; armed services; military; military machine; war machine (the military forces of a nation)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "company"):

trainband (a company of militia in England or America from the 16th century to the 18th century)

Holonyms ("company" is a member of...):

battalion (an army unit usually consisting of a headquarters and three or more companies)

battle group (an army unit usually consisting of five companies)

Sense 3

Meaning:

The state of being with someone

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Synonyms:

companionship; company; fellowship; society

Context example:

he enjoyed the society of his friends

Hypernyms ("company" is a kind of...):

friendly relationship; friendship (the state of being friends (or friendly))

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "company"):

freemasonry (a natural or instinctive fellowship between people of similar interests)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Organization of performers and associated personnel (especially theatrical)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting groupings of people or objects

Synonyms:

company; troupe

Context example:

the traveling company all stayed at the same hotel

Hypernyms ("company" is a kind of...):

organisation; organization (a group of people who work together)

Meronyms (members of "company"):

cast; cast of characters; dramatis personae (the actors in a play)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "company"):

opera company (a company that produces operas)

theater company (a company that produces plays)

ballet company (a company that produces ballets)

chorus; Greek chorus (a company of actors who comment (by speaking or singing in unison) on the action in a classical Greek play)

circus (a travelling company of entertainers; including trained animals)

minstrel show (a troupe of performers in blackface typically giving a comic program of negro songs and jokes)

minstrelsy (a troupe of minstrels)

Sense 5

Meaning:

A social or business visitor

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Synonyms:

caller; company

Context example:

the room was a mess because he hadn't expected company

Hypernyms ("company" is a kind of...):

visitant; visitor (someone who visits)

Sense 6

Meaning:

A social gathering of guests or companions

Classified under:

Nouns denoting groupings of people or objects

Context example:

the house was filled with company when I arrived

Hypernyms ("company" is a kind of...):

social affair; social gathering (a gathering for the purpose of promoting fellowship)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "company"):

cohort (a company of companions or supporters)

number (a select company of people)

attendance (the number of people that are present)

Sense 7

Meaning:

A band of people associated temporarily in some activity

Classified under:

Nouns denoting groupings of people or objects

Synonyms:

company; party

Context example:

the company of cooks walked into the kitchen

Hypernyms ("company" is a kind of...):

band; circle; lot; set (an unofficial association of people or groups)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "company"):

fatigue party (a group of soldiers on fatigue duty)

landing party (a part of a ship's company organized for special duties ashore)

party to the action; party to the transaction (a party of people taking a role in legal proceedings)

rescue party (a party of rescuers)

search party (a party of people to search for someone)

stretcher party (a party of people with stretchers to carry an injured person)

war party (a band of warriors who raid or fight an enemy (used especially of Native Americans))

Derivation:

company (be a companion to somebody)

Sense 8

Meaning:

Crew of a ship including the officers; the whole force or personnel of a ship

Classified under:

Nouns denoting groupings of people or objects

Synonyms:

company; ship's company

Hypernyms ("company" is a kind of...):

complement; full complement (number needed to make up a whole force)

Meronyms (members of "company"):

crew (the men and women who man a vehicle (ship, aircraft, etc.))

Sense 9

Meaning:

A unit of firefighters including their equipment

Classified under:

Nouns denoting groupings of people or objects

Context example:

a hook-and-ladder company

Hypernyms ("company" is a kind of...):

social unit; unit (an organization regarded as part of a larger social group)

• COMPANY (verb)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Be a companion to somebody

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Synonyms:

accompany; companion; company; keep company

Hypernyms (to "company" is one way to...):

affiliate; associate; assort; consort (keep company with; hang out with)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody

Derivation:

company (a band of people associated temporarily in some activity)

 Context examples 

I only moaned a trifle to keep the girls company.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

Companies can use them to mean whatever they want.

(Cosmetics, Food and Drug Administration)

The process by which non-govt. companies obtain and do work for the Federal government

(Contracting, NCI Thesaurus)

Non-Fed. Govt companies who contract to do specific work for the Fed Govt thru the official Contracting process.

(Contractor, NCI Thesaurus)

A company licensed to discover, develop, market and distribute drugs.

(Drug Company, NCI Thesaurus)

NDC codes change often as companies merge, new products are introduced, and drugs are retired.

(FDA National Drug Code, NCI Thesaurus)

A public-facing support contact for the Labeler company responsible to support the reported device.

(Device Labeler Support Contact, Food and Drug Administration)

“I am glad of it. You are company to us both. It is wholesome to have you here. Wholesome for me, wholesome for Agnes, wholesome perhaps for all of us.”

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

In your report, you mention the fact that insurance companies are ahead of everybody since they've excluded from civil responsibility insurance policies illnesses which could be linked to the use of mobile phones.

(Health threats caused by mobile phone radiation, EUROPARL TV)

Merlin Burrows says it was then that the company found what it believes is remains of temples and towers.

(Researchers Claim to Have Found Mythical City of Atlantis in Spain, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)