1
general::
company
an organization that makes or sells something, or provides a service:
• big oil companies • telephone companies • He runs a software company.
firm
a company, especially one that provides a service rather than producing goods:
• a law firm • a firm of accountants • a security firm
business
a company – often used when talking about a company that employs only a small number of people:
• She set up her own catering business. • small businesses • a family business
corporation
a large company that often includes several smaller companies:
• IBM is one of the biggest corporations in the world.
multinational
a very large company with offices in many different countries:
• American multinationals are establishing research and development facilities across the developing world.
conglomerate
a very large company that consists of several different companies which have joined together:
• The company was taken over by a German media conglomerate.
giant
a word used mainly by newspapers for a very large company:
• Their clients include the retail giant, Wal-Mart.
subsidiary
a company that is owned by a larger company:
• The company runs its New York operations through a US subsidiary.
Longman-Thesaurus
2
general::
company
ADJECTIVES/NOUN + company
a computer/phone/oil etc company
• an international oil company
a manufacturing/shipping/publishing etc company
• I’m working for a printing company at the moment.
a large/big company
• She has a senior position in a large manufacturing company.
a small company
• His father is the director of a small company.
an international company
(= with offices in different countries )
• She works for a major international company.
a multinational company
(= with offices in many countries )
• Within ten years the business grew into a huge multinational company.
a private company
(= not owned by the government )
• There are many tiny private companies.
a state-owned company
(= owned by the government )
a public/listed company
(= offering its shares for sale on the stock exchange )
a limited company
(= one whose owners only have to pay a limited amount if it gets into debt )
a subsidiary company
(= owned or controlled by a larger company )
the parent company
(= the one that owns or controls a smaller one )
a local company
• The new development will bring more business to local companies.
a reputable company
(= with a good reputation )
• Choose a reputable building company to do the work.
verbs
work for a company
• How long have you been working for your present company?
join a company
(= become an employee )
• I joined the company ten years ago.
run/manage a company
• Nick runs a property company.
set up/start/form a company
• Two years later he started his own software company.
found/establish a company
• The company was founded in 1993 by William J. Nutt.
take over a company
(= buy it and run it )
• The company was taken over by the management in a £32.5 million deal.
a company grows/expands
• The company has expanded year on year.
a company goes bankrupt/goes out of business
(= stops doing business after losing too much money )
a company fails
(= goes bankrupt )
• His audio equipment company failed in the mid 1980s.
a company goes bust
informal (= goes bankrupt )
a company goes to the wall
informal (= goes bankrupt )
a company goes into liquidation
(= is closed and sold in order to pay its debts )
company + NOUN
company policy
• It is not company policy to give that information.
a company director/executive
• He earns a huge amount of money as a senior company executive.
a company car
(= that your company gives you to use )
company 2
verbs
enjoy sb’s company
• Steve was fun and she clearly enjoyed his company.
keep somebody company
(= be with someone so that they do not feel lonely )
• Mum was out so I stayed at home to keep my younger sister company.
have some company
(= not be alone )
• ‘Come in,’ she said, pleased to have some company.
need/want company
• Children need the company of other kids their age.
be good/pleasant company
(= be a cheerful person who is enjoyable to be with )
• I always liked seeing Rob – he was such good company.
transnet.ir
4
general::
noun business organization ADJ. big, large, major, medium-sized, small | start-up a major European company | associated, commercial, joint-stock, limited, private, public a public limited company | international, multi-national, national | trading an international trading company | bus, record, etc. a small insurance company QUANT. group VERB + COMPANY create, establish, form, found, set up, start (up) | manage, operate, run | acquire, buy, take over | dissolve | work for She's been working for the same company for 15 years. | join | leave, resign from COMPANY + VERB make sth, produce sth The company produces cotton goods. | expand, grow | shrink | fail, go bankrupt, go bust, go into liquidation, go out of business, go to the wall (informal), go under During the recession many small companies went out of business. COMPANY + NOUN director, policy, profits | car PREP. in a/the ~ He has shares in several companies. | within a/the ~ the division of power within a company PHRASES a director of a companyBUSINESS group of actors/dancers, etc. ADJ. large, small | touring | ballet, theatre, etc. a small touring theatre companyORGANIZATION (for verbs) being with sb else ADJ. good, pleasant He's very good company. | poor VERB + COMPANY have It's nice to have a bit of company for a change. | keep sb I'll stay and keep you company. | need, want | provide (sb with) A cat would provide her with some company. | seek | enjoy I always enjoy her company. PREP. for ~ I took my mother with me for company. | in sb's ~ He's nervous in the company of his colleagues. PHRASES have/request the pleasure of sb's company (formal), like/prefer your own company (= to like being alone) group of people together ADJ. mixed (= men and women) | assembled He glanced round the assembled company. VERB + COMPANY keep (= to spend time with) John's mother was worried about the company he kept. PREP. in ~ Those children don't know how to behave in company. That's not something to say in mixed company. PHRASES get into/keep bad company (= to be friends with people that others disapprove of), present company excepted (= used after being rude or critical about sb to say that the people you are talking to are not included in the criticism) visitor or visitors VERB + COMPANY expect, have We're expecting company this afternoon.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary