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.
Legal filings, Cambodian corporate records and sanctions actions in the U.S. and other countries document the infiltration of Cambodia’s ruling class by online scam networks.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 20, 2026
With Cook’s retirement, the stakes for a market-moving event at corporate headquarters Apple Park just got higher.
From Barron's • Apr. 20, 2026
Behind them came the corporate class: Tropicana, which ended up with PepsiCo, and Minute Maid, which went to Coca-Cola.
From Slate • Apr. 20, 2026
In the coming week, investors will keep a close eye on the U.S.-Iran peace negotiations, as well as corporate earnings from the likes of UnitedHealth, Tesla and Lockheed Martin.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 20, 2026
“Well, that’s my official job, yes. But I don’t define myself by my corporate identity. In my spare time, I run this!”
From "The Son of Neptune" by Rick Riordan
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.
