company
/ˈkʌm.pə.ni/ IELTSAcademic
noun
- 1.
A company is a business or organization that sells goods or services. It can be small or very large.
- She works for a software company.
- Our company opened a new office.
- 2.
Company also means people you are with, especially friends or guests. It often suggests being together in a social way.
- I enjoyed her company last evening.
- Please keep him company while he waits.
Adinary Nuance
Company is more general than many near-neighbors. Use business for a firm as an activity or field, and company for the actual organization itself. In social use, company means people you are with, while companionship is more formal and less common in everyday speech.
In other languages
- Vietnamese
- công ty
- Spanish
- empresa
- Chinese
- 公司
- Japanese
- 会社
- Korean
- 회사
Etymology
Company came into English from Old French in the 13th century. It goes back to Latin roots meaning “bread shared together,” showing the idea of people being together.
Common phrases
a company meetinga company policykeep someone companycompany profits
Synonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
- Is company a formal word in business English?
- Yes. It is very common in business and academic writing.
- What is the difference between company and firm?
- Company is broader and more common. Firm is often used for professional services like law or finance.
- Can company mean people too?
- Yes. It can mean the people you are with, especially in social situations.
- How do I use company in a sentence?
- You can say, “She works for a company,” or “I enjoy his company.”