corporate
Americanadjective
-
of, for, or belonging to a corporation or corporations: She considers the new federal subsidy just corporate welfare.
a corporate executive;
She considers the new federal subsidy just corporate welfare.
-
forming a corporation.
-
pertaining to a united group, as of persons.
the corporate good.
-
united or combined into one.
noun
adjective
-
forming a corporation; incorporated
-
of or belonging to a corporation or corporations
corporate finance
-
of or belonging to a united group; joint
Other Word Forms
- anticorporate adjective
- anticorporately adverb
- anticorporateness noun
- corporately adverb
- corporateness noun
- intercorporate adjective
- noncorporate adjective
- noncorporately adverb
Etymology
Origin of corporate
First recorded in 1350–1400 for verb senses; 1505–15 for adjective senses; Middle English corporaten, from Latin corporātus, past participle of corporāre “to incorporate”; see incorporate 1
Explanation
Corporate means having to do with a corporation. Playing golf can be a part of corporate culture. A corporate jet is one owned by the company and used for company business. When people refer to corporate as a noun, as in "I have to ask corporate," it's actually just a shortening of "corporate headquarters." People tend to be on their best behavior at work, where money and advancement are on the line. Therefore, corporate behavior is often associated with being eager to please those in authority.
Vocabulary lists containing corporate
Body Language: Corp ("Body")
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Class Act
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The Skin I'm In
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Tiles are flying around brownstones, sororities, warehouses, corporate off-sites and country clubs from Chicago to Miami to Dallas.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026
In San Diego, in a city without a team in the NFL, NBA or NHL, the Padres are virtually unchallenged for dollars from fans and corporate sponsors.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2026
It was a reaction to corporate abuses and corrupt governance and horrific things like child labor and environmental destruction.
From Slate • Apr. 17, 2026
At least, that’s what corporate executives are telling us.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 17, 2026
I thought back to my darker days after college when I battled depression and uncertainty, unable to find a job in the corporate world like my friends.
From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
