shareholder
gb/ʃˈɛɹhˌoʊldɚ/ us/ʃˈɛɹhˌoʊldɚ/
B1
English
~ 2300
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B1
entity
1
Owner of shares in a company
A person or group that owns part of a company by having its shares.
Usage pattern:
[someone] is a shareholder in [company]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'shareholder' with 'stakeholder'. A stakeholder can be anyone affected by a company's actions, while a shareholder specifically owns shares.
Synonyms
stockholder (Commonly used in American English; same meaning as shareholder.)
Antonyms
non-shareholder (Someone who does not own any shares in a company.)
Collocations
major shareholder
|minority shareholder
|shareholder meeting
|shareholder value
|shareholder rights
Themes
business
|finance
|law
Examples
- The shareholders voted to approve the merger.
- As a major shareholder, she has significant influence over company decisions.
- Shareholders will receive dividends at the end of the fiscal year.
- The annual shareholder meeting will be held online this year.
Learner examples
- I am a shareholder in this company.
- The shareholders are happy with the profit.
- He became a shareholder last year.
- The company sent a letter to all shareholders.
Grammar
Dictionary form
shareholder
IPA
GB/ʃˈɛɹhˌoʊldɚ/
US/ʃˈɛɹhˌoʊldɚ/
Syllables & stress
share - hold - er (3 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (share)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: shareholder
- Plural: shareholders
Word family
Expressions
major shareholder
1/mˈeɪd͡ʒɚ ʃˈɛɹhˌoʊldɚ/
fixed phrase
Owner of large shareholding
A person or group that owns many shares in a company, giving them more control.
Examples
- He became the major shareholder after buying 20% of the company's stock.
- As the major shareholder, she can influence key decisions.
minority shareholder
1/maɪnˈɔɹəti ʃˈɛɹhˌoʊldɚ/
fixed phrase
Owner of small shareholding
A person or group that owns fewer shares than the people who control the company.
Examples
- Minority shareholders often have less influence over company policy.
- The law protects the rights of minority shareholders.
shareholder meeting
1/ʃˈɛɹhˌoʊldɚ mˈitɪŋ/
fixed phrase
Meeting of a company's shareholders
A planned meeting where people who own shares in a company talk about and vote on company issues.
Examples
- The annual shareholder meeting will take place in May.
- Only those with valid proof of share ownership can attend the shareholder meeting.
shareholder value
1/ʃˈɛɹhˌoʊldɚ vˈælju/
fixed phrase
technical
Financial return to shareholders
The money or benefit that people who own shares get from the company doing well.
Examples
- The CEO's main goal is to increase shareholder value.
- New strategies are aimed at boosting shareholder value over the next decade.