IPO

American  

abbreviation

1. initial public offering: a company's first stock offering to the public.

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IPO British  

abbreviation

1. independent publicly owned company

2. stock exchange initial public offering

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IPO Cultural  

1. Abbreviation for i nitial p ublic o ffering; the first issuance of shares in itself by a public company.

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Etymology

Origin of IPO

First recorded in 1975–80

Example Sentences

For years, there’s been speculation about whether Goop will IPO or be acquired, as well as when it will become profitable.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

Morgan Stanley, Citigroup, Barclays and UBS Investment Bank are the lead book-running managers for the IPO, according to Cerebras.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 17, 2026

Madison Air Solutions rises after its $2.2 billion IPO, the largest of 2026, debuted strongly on Thursday.

From Barron's • Apr. 17, 2026

Shares traded at about $24.65 in early afternoon on the New York Stock Exchange, up about 23% from the $20 IPO price.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

It is estimated that a person who invested $5,000 in Netflix at its 2002 IPO would have about $30,000 by January 2010, about $200,000 by January 2015, and about $1.4 million by January 2020.

From "The First State of Being" by Erin Entrada Kelly