merger

[mur-jer] /ˈmɜr dʒər/
noun
1.
a statutory combination of two or more corporations by the transfer of the properties to one surviving corporation.
2.
any combination of two or more business enterprises into a single enterprise.
3.
an act or instance of merging.
Origin
1720-30; merge + -er1
Related forms
antimerger, adjective
demerger, noun
premerger, adjective
promerger, adjective
Examples from the web for merger
  • Adding to the integration complexity is the fact that this combination is a true merger rather than a takeover situation.
  • The bank has risen to seventh in global merger advice.
  • The two groups say they will craft a merger proposal to be submitted to both boards of directors in the coming months.
  • But its focus is squarely on the post-trade aspects of any merger.
  • Ribbing at the cuffs and hem ensures a snow-tight merger.
  • It could be the result of a merger between two stars and systems in which planets evolved and grouped separately.
  • It is equally not a merger negotiation or courtroom drama.
  • Now a merger would come more from weakness than strength.
  • From the beginning, says a former executive, there was violence inside the merger.
  • But this tumultuous galactic merger is anything but peaceful.
British Dictionary definitions for merger

merger

/ˈmɜːdʒə/
noun
1.
(commerce) the combination of two or more companies, either by the creation of a new organization or by absorption by one of the others Often called (Brit) amalgamation
2.
(law) the extinguishment of an estate, interest, contract, right, offence, etc, by its absorption into a greater one
3.
the act of merging or the state of being merged
Word Origin and History for merger
n.

1728 in legal sense, "extinguishment by absorption," from merge (v.), on analogy of French infinitives used as nouns (e.g. waiver). From 1889 in the business sense; not common until c.1926. General meaning "any act of merging" is from 1881.

merger in Culture

merger definition


The union of two or more independent corporations under a single ownership. Also known as takeovers, mergers may be friendly or hostile. In the latter case, the buying company, having met with resistance from directors of the targeted company, usually offers an inflated (overmarket) price to persuade stockholders of the targeted company to sell their shares to it. Such mergers often have been financed by junk bonds.

Note: Especially common in the 1980s, hostile takeovers have become highly controversial. Some contend that they bring needed infusions of capital and efficiency to the targeted company. Others argue that, having borrowed heavily to finance the merger, the buyer is forced to sell valuable assets of the targeted company to pay off its debt.