share
1 Americannoun
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the full or proper portion or part allotted or belonging to or contributed or owed by an individual or group.
- Synonyms:
- lot, quota, assessment, ration, allocation, allotment
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one of the equal fractional parts into which the capital stock of a joint-stock company or a corporation is divided.
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Digital Technology.
-
a digital file or document that can be accessed by specific users on a computer network, as for viewing, downloading, or making changes to it.
I just sent you a share—can you improve the second paragraph?
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an act of sharing online content with specific users on a computer network.
You can do a video share with friends and family.
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verb (used with object)
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shares,
present (3rd person singular)
-
shared,
past participle, past
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sharing
present participle
-
to divide and distribute in shares; apportion.
- Synonyms:
- mete, dole (out), deal, parcel out, allot
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to use, participate in, enjoy, receive, etc., jointly.
The two chemists shared the Nobel Prize.
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Digital Technology. to give specific users access to (online content), as by posting it on a social media website or sending it as an email attachment: a shared spreadsheet.
to share photos on Instagram;
a shared spreadsheet.
verb (used without object)
-
shares,
present (3rd person singular)
-
shared,
past participle, past
-
sharing
present participle
-
to have a share or part; take part (often followed byin ).
-
to divide, apportion, or receive equally.
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Digital Technology. to give specific users access to online content.
You can share via email, Facebook, or Twitter.
adjective
idioms
noun
noun
-
a part or portion of something owned, allotted to, or contributed by a person or group
-
(often plural) any of the equal parts, usually of low par value, into which the capital stock of a company is divided: ownership of shares carries the right to receive a proportion of the company's profits See also ordinary shares preference shares
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informal to share (something) with another or others
verb
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to divide or apportion, esp equally
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to receive or contribute a portion of
we can share the cost of the petrol
six people shared in the inheritance
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to join with another or others in the use of (something)
can I share your umbrella?
noun
Synonym Usage
Share, partake, participate mean to join with others or to receive in common with others. To share is to give or receive a part of something, or to enjoy or assume something in common: to share in another's experiences. To partake is to take for one's own personal use a portion of something: to partake of food. To participate is especially to join with others in some thought, feeling, or, particularly, some action: to participate in a race, in a conversation.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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sharernoun
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half-sharedadjective
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nonsharingadjective
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sharableadjective
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shareableadjective
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unsharableadjective
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unshareableadjective
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unsharedadjective
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unsharingadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
sharesimple
-
sharessimple
-
have sharedperfect
-
has sharedperfect
-
am sharingprogressive
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are sharingprogressive
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is sharingprogressive
-
have been sharingperfect progressive
-
has been sharingperfect progressive
Past
-
sharedsimple
-
had sharedperfect
-
was sharingprogressive
-
were sharingprogressive
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had been sharingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of share1
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English noun shar(e), sharre “cutting, division,” Old English scearu “fork of the body, groin”; cognate with Dutch schaar, German Schar “troop”; see shear
Origin of share2
First recorded before 900; Middle English shar(e), sharre, Old English scear, scer; cognate with German Schar; see shear
Explanation
When you hungrily eye the pizzas your friends ordered, count everyone in the room, and then mentally divide the number of slices by the number of people, you're figuring out your share, or portion, of pizza. Your share of something can be the part of the total that's due to you — your share of the piñata candy — or it can be the section of something you're responsible for, like doing your share of cleaning out the garage. When you use share as a verb, it means to give or distribute a portion of something. The word share and its meaning of dividing into pieces come from the Proto-Indo-European word sker, "to cut."
Vocabulary lists containing share
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Business, List 2
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"Talkin' 'bout a Revolution"
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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.
See Examples For:
Shared governance is the system in which faculty and administrators share authority over how a university is run.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026
Adjusted earnings per share were $3.70, compared with analyst estimates for $3.08, according to FactSet.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026
"We have already announced unprecedented financial powers to English mayors so they can receive a share of income tax revenues to boost local economies and improve public services," they added.
From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026
He declined to share expectations around the timeline for offering the service without a human supervisor.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026
Trey hadn’t ever mentioned knowing Ethan when he would share ChickaStomp dance videos with me.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
Soitec shares in Paris gained more than 15% on Thursday.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026
GoPro shares saw some momentum Monday thanks to a recent report discussing a popular YouTuber’s stake in the company, and the stock climbed sharply on Tuesday following the merger news.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 2, 2026
Uber shares rose more than 2% to around $77 in midday trading Wednesday.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026
Alphabet won a court victory, sending shares higher.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026
“So, I have all these new ideas for the clubhouse,’’Jade shares.
From "Zara’s Rules for Record-Breaking Fun" by Hena Khan
Managing those limited supplies requires careful decisions about how water is stored, allocated, and shared.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 3, 2026
Khanal said the disaster underlined the "impetus and urgency" needed to build data-sharing mechanisms to help warn of future disasters, noting that neighbouring China had shared key data after the flood.
From Barron's ● Sep. 3, 2026
Authorities have shared few details about the man found dead Wednesday beyond that he was determined to be an adult and was pronounced deceased at the scene.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026
The owners of the leasehold flats pay a service charge to the managing agent, Ambit CRE, for the maintenance, repairs and management of shared or communal areas as well as insurance.
From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026
He couldn’t forget Glory and Auntie North, who had taken him in and believed in this journey they shared.
From "The Way to Rio Luna" by Zoraida Cordova
"I often told my story," she said, sharing with schoolchildren: "You can be anything you want to be."
From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2026
The Swiss pharmaceutical company is conducting a comprehensive review of the safety events and sharing information with regulators.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026
Hernandez repeated her success this year, again sharing her wins with cisgender competitors.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2026
"There might be a family of five in one single room sharing a few beds, sleeping on the floor, nowhere to cook."
From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2026
And sharing space with my entire family is awkward enough on vacation.
From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller
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.
