merger

[ mur-jer ]

noun

1. a statutory combination of two or more corporations by the transfer of the properties to one surviving corporation.
2. any combination of two or more business enterprises into a single enterprise.
3. an act or instance of merging:

   Astronomers say that the merger of galaxies can take a billion years.

4. Phonetics. the process or phenomenon whereby two distinct speech sounds come to be pronounced identically: for instance, the cot–caught vowel merger has taken place in some dialects of English.

merger

/ ˈmɜːdʒə /

noun

1. commerce the combination of two or more companies, either by the creation of a new organization or by absorption by one of the others Often called (Brit)amalgamation
2. law the extinguishment of an estate, interest, contract, right, offence, etc, by its absorption into a greater one
3. the act of merging or the state of being merged

merger

1. The union of two or more independent corporations under a single ownership. Also known as takeovers, mergers may be friendly or hostile. In the latter case, the buying company, having met with resistance from directors of the targeted company, usually offers an inflated (overmarket) price to persuade stockholders of the targeted company to sell their shares to it. Such mergers often have been financed by junk bonds .

Notes

Especially common in the 1980s, hostile takeovers have become highly controversial. Some contend that they bring needed infusions of capital and efficiency to the targeted company. Others argue that, having borrowed heavily to finance the merger, the buyer is forced to sell valuable assets of the targeted company to pay off its debt .

Other Words From

• an·ti·merg·er adjective
• de·merg·er noun
• pre·merg·er adjective
• pro·merg·er adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of merger¹

First recorded in 1720–30; merge + -er ¹

Example Sentences

US budget carrier Spirit Airlines has filed for bankruptcy protection after a long run of financial losses and a series of failed merger attempts.

From BBC

Speaking exclusively to the BBC, Sir David Behan, the regulator’s chairman, called for radical change, saying course closures and university mergers might be needed for financial stability.

From BBC

Shares in Capital One and Discover, which have a merger under review by regulators, have jumped roughly 20% since the result.

From BBC

“As part of the merger process, meals, service ware and other soft elements have been upgraded and incorporates aspects of both Vistara and Air India,” an Air India spokesperson said in an email response.

From BBC

He also mentioned “attacking food prices by going after some of these anti-competitive mergers ... attacking climate change by continuing our investment in renewable energy, and also really diving into the water issue. No pun intended.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• combination
• takeover
• tie up
• unification
• union