English

corporation

gb/kˌɔɹpɚˈeɪʃən/ us/kˌɔɹpɚˈeɪʃən/
B1 English
~ 1100
Senses
0 senses
Noun B1 entity
1

A large company or group

A big company that is recognized by law as separate from the people who run it.

Usage pattern: [a/an] corporation
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'corporation' with 'cooperation'; the first is a type of company, the second means working together.
Synonyms
company (A general term for any business, not necessarily legally incorporated.) | firm (Often refers to a business, especially in professional services; can be smaller than a corporation.)
Antonyms
sole proprietorship (A business owned and run by one person, not legally separate from its owner.)
Collocations
multinational corporation |public corporation |private corporation |large corporation |corporation tax
Themes
business |law |economics |finance
Examples
  • The corporation announced record profits this quarter.
  • She works for a multinational corporation based in New York.
  • The new law will affect how corporations pay taxes.
  • Several corporations are competing for the government contract.
  • The corporation is expanding into Asian markets.
Learner examples
  • My father works for a big corporation.
  • The corporation sells clothes online.
  • Many corporations have offices in this city.
  • Our corporation has many workers.
  • The corporation makes cars.
Grammar
Dictionary form
corporation
IPA
GB/kˌɔɹpɚˈeɪʃən/
US/kˌɔɹpɚˈeɪʃən/
Syllables & stress
cor - por - a - tion (4 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (por)
Word forms
Noun
  • Base: corporation
  • Plural: corporations
Word family
Forms
corporations noun
Core family
corporate adjective B1
Related words
incorporate verb B2 incorporation noun C1
Advanced or less common
incorporator noun
Expressions

private corporation

1
/pɹˈaɪvɪt kˌɔɹpɚˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase technical

Company not traded on stock market

A company that is owned by a small group of people and does not sell shares to the public.

Examples
  • The family runs a private corporation that makes furniture.
  • Private corporations are not required to share as much financial information as public ones.

public corporation

1
/pˈʌblɪk kˌɔɹpɚˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase technical

Company with publicly traded shares

A company whose shares can be bought and sold by anyone on the stock market.

Examples
  • Tesla is a public corporation listed on NASDAQ.
  • Becoming a public corporation allows companies to raise money from investors.

multinational corporation

1
/mˌʌltinˈæʃənəl kˌɔɹpɚˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase

very large company in many countries

A very big company that owns or controls businesses in many different countries.

Examples
  • Apple is a well-known multinational corporation with offices worldwide.
  • Several multinational corporations dominate the global soft drink market.
  • Many multinational corporations have factories in developing countries.
  • The report accuses multinational corporations of avoiding taxes through complex financial structures.
  • Many young professionals dream of working for a multinational corporation.

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