private company

noun

, British.

1. a company whose shareholders may not exceed 50 in number and whose shares may not be offered for public subscription.

private company

noun

1. a limited company that does not issue shares for public subscription and whose owners do not enjoy an unrestricted right to transfer their shareholdings Compare public company

Word History and Origins

Origin of private company¹

First recorded in 1905–10

Example Sentences

Oscar, who died at Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge and Yousef, who also died at St Thomas' Hospital, received feed manufactured by private company ITH Pharma which supplied to several trusts.

From BBC

"The challenge is that it is grown in very fragmented small holdings, so it does not get the kind of attention cocoa should get," says Renny Jacob, chairman of India Cocoa, a private company that has been growing and processing cocoa beans for more than 30 years.

From BBC

In response to Auty’s claims, Sodexo, the private company that runs the prison, told the BBC it cannot comment on individual cases, but “where complaints are received about any employee, we undertake all appropriate investigations and take necessary actions as needed”.

From BBC

At the time, the 2021 ruling marked the first time a court had ordered a private company to align its workings with the Paris climate agreement, meaning that it was not sufficient for a company simply to comply with the law - it had to comply with global climate policy too.

From BBC

The body was originally owned by National Grid, a private company, but transferred to government ownership last month.

From BBC