corporation

[kawr-puh-rey-shuh n] /ˌkɔr pəˈreɪ ʃən/

noun

an association of individuals, created by law or under authority of law, having a continuous existence independent of the existences of its members, and powers and liabilities distinct from those of its members.

(initial capital letter) the group of principal officials of a borough or other municipal division in England.

any group of persons united or regarded as united in one body.

Informal. a paunch; potbelly.

Origin

1400-50; late Middle English < Late Latin corporātiōn- (stem of corporātiō) ‘guild’, Latin: ‘physical makeup, build’. See corporate, -ion

Related forms

corporational, adjective

multicorporation, noun

noncorporation, noun

subcorporation, noun

supercorporation, noun

Usage note

See collective noun.

Examples from the web for corporation

To learn skills in order to make a living, usually for a corporation or other business.
And if you say no its because you do not work for a large corporation and have a executive position.
Every large multinational corporation provides large sums of funding for numerous academic pursuits.
It is good to see large corporation actively pursuing new battery technology.
Once upon a time it took an army of accountants, middle managers and support staff to manage a large corporation.
The corporation did not return a phone call seeking comment.
The corporation can pay lower wages, because the standard of living in less developed countries is much lower.
We've become a country of the corporation, by the corporation, for the corporation.
They are the civil method of recourse if you have been harmed by a giant corporation.
There needs to be national standards and a national goal of pure science--science where no one, nor any corporation benefits.

British Dictionary definitions for corporation

corporation

/ˌkɔːpəˈreɪʃən/

noun

a group of people authorized by law to act as a legal personality and having its own powers, duties, and liabilities

Also called municipal corporation. the municipal authorities of a city or town

a group of people acting as one body

See public corporation

(informal) a large paunch or belly

Word Origin and History for corporation

mid-15c., "persons united in a body for some purpose," from such use in Anglo-Latin, from Late Latin corporationem (nominative corporatio), noun of action from past participle stem of Latin corporare "to embody" (see corporate). Meaning "legally authorized entity" (including municipal governments and modern business companies) is from 1610s.

corporation in Culture

corporation definition

A business organization owned by a group of stockholders, each of whom enjoys limited liability (that is, each can be held responsible for losses only up to the limit of his or her investment). A corporation has the ability to raise capital by selling stock to the public.