Meaning & use
ownership structure
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountable or uncountablebusiness
The way the ownership of a company or organization is divided among different people or groups.
Grammar: Often used with 'a' or 'the' when talking about a particular company's arrangement.
Patterns
- the ownership structure of something
- a complex ownership structure
- change the ownership structure
The company's ownership structure changed after the merger.
Investors want to know the ownership structure before they put in money.
A simple ownership structure makes a business easier to manage.
Word forms
| plural | ownership structures |
|---|
Common combinations
- complex ownership structure
- The firm has a complex ownership structure with many small shareholders.
- change the ownership structure
- They decided to change the ownership structure to attract new investors.
- ownership structure of a company
- The ownership structure of the company is explained in the annual report.
- transparent ownership structure
- A transparent ownership structure helps prevent corruption.
Synonyms and how they differ
- shareholding pattern
- Used more in Indian and Asian business contexts; it focuses on who holds shares, while 'ownership structure' can also include other forms of ownership.
- equity structure
- Similar but often refers specifically to the division of shares, not to other ownership arrangements.
Word family
Commonly confused: ownership structure or organizational structure?
ownership structure vs organizational structure
This refers to how departments and roles are arranged, not who owns the company.
Practice
The bank asked for details about the company's ______ before approving the loan.
Choose one answer.
'Ownership structure' is the standard term for how ownership is divided. 'Owning structure' and 'owner structure' are not used in this meaning.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “ownership structure”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.