Meaning & use
company
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountablebusiness
A business that sells goods or services and is usually run for profit.
Grammar: In British English it can take a singular or plural verb: the company is or the company are.
Patterns
- work for a company
- a company that ...
She works for a software company in Denver.
The company announced record profits.
He started his own company at twenty-five.
noununcountable
The state of being with another person or other people.
Grammar: No plural and no article before it: I enjoy his company.
Patterns
- keep someone company
- enjoy someone's company
I enjoy her company on long walks.
The dog kept me company all evening.
He prefers his own company to parties.
noununcountableinformal
People who are visiting you, such as guests.
Grammar: Used without a plural: we have company tonight.
Patterns
- have company
- expect company
We are expecting company this weekend.
She tidied the house because company was coming.
Do not bother cooking; we have no company.
nouncountable
A group of performers, such as actors or dancers, who work together.
Grammar: Often part of a name: a theater company, a dance company.
Patterns
- a theater company
- join a company
The ballet company toured Europe last spring.
She joined a small theater company after drama school.
The opera company rehearses downtown.
nouncountablemilitary
A military unit of soldiers, smaller than a battalion.
Grammar: Used in military ranks: a company of infantry.
Patterns
- a company of soldiers
The captain commanded a company of one hundred soldiers.
A company was sent to secure the bridge.
Each company has its own sergeant.
Word forms
| plural | companies |
|---|
Common combinations
- set up a company
- They set up a company to sell handmade soap.
- keep someone company
- I will stay and keep you company until the train arrives.
- in good company
- If you are confused, you are in good company.
- two's company
- Two's company, three's a crowd, as the saying goes.
- part company
- The two partners decided to part company after the dispute.
- company policy
- Company policy forbids accepting gifts.
Synonyms and how they differ
- firm
- Firm is often used for professional businesses such as law offices and is slightly more formal than company.
- business
- Business can mean any commercial activity, and it is broader than a legal company.
- corporation
- Corporation points to a large legally structured company.
- companionship
- Companionship stresses the friendly bond of being with others, whereas company is simply the fact of being together.
Opposites
Word family
- companion noun
- a person you spend time with
- accompany verb
- to go somewhere with someone
- companionship noun
- friendly company
- corporate adjective
- relating to a large company
Commonly confused: company or campany?
company vs campany
Campany is a misspelling; the correct form is company with an o.
Practice
My sister is nervous about the long flight, so I will go along to keep her ____.
Choose one answer.
Keep someone company is the fixed phrase. Companion is a person, so it does not complete the phrase.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “company”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.