Meaning & use
a joint stock company
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable
A company whose owners hold shares of its capital and can transfer those shares to others.
Grammar: Countable; use 'a' or 'an' before it. Plural: joint stock companies.
Patterns
- a joint stock company
- form a joint stock company
- invest in a joint stock company
They formed a joint stock company to raise money for the railroad.
A joint stock company allows investors to buy and sell shares.
The business was reorganized as a joint stock company.
nouncountablebusiness
A business structure in which shareholders own transferable shares, often used historically for large ventures.
Grammar: Same as above; often used in historical contexts.
Patterns
- a joint stock company
- the joint stock company model
The joint stock company was a key innovation in early modern trade.
Many colonies were run by joint stock companies.
Word forms
| plural | joint stock companies |
|---|
Common combinations
- form a joint stock company
- The merchants decided to form a joint stock company.
- invest in a joint stock company
- She invested in a joint stock company that built ships.
- a joint stock company charter
- The king granted a joint stock company charter.
- shares of a joint stock company
- He bought shares of a joint stock company.
Synonyms and how they differ
- corporation
- A corporation is a more general modern term for a large business; a joint stock company specifically emphasizes shares that can be traded.
- public company
- A public company is one whose shares are traded on a stock exchange; a joint stock company may or may not be public.
Word family
- joint stock adjective
- Relating to capital divided into shares.
Commonly confused: a joint stock company or stock company?
a joint stock company vs stock company
A 'stock company' can also mean a theater group that performs plays with the same actors, so context is important.
Practice
What is a joint stock company?
Choose one answer.
A joint stock company is defined by shares that owners can transfer. The other options describe different business forms or misunderstand the term.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “a joint stock company”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.