shareholder

noun

share·​hold·​er ˈsher-ˌhōl-dər How to pronounce shareholder (audio)
: one that holds or owns a share in property
especially : stockholder
shareholding
ˈsher-ˌhōl-diŋ How to pronounce shareholder (audio)
noun

Examples of shareholder in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
More recently, Kretinsky became one of the largest shareholders in the French energy giant TotalEnergies and is embroiled in a takeover battle for English football club West Ham United. — Bloomberg, Fortune, 7 Aug. 2026 The Porsche and Piëch families control Volkswagen through their holding company, Porsche SE, which is the single largest shareholder of Volkswagen. — Sam Meredith, CNBC, 7 Aug. 2026 On Tuesday, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass penned a letter to company shareholders hoping to highlight the negative impacts that residents have had to deal with in the wake of the fire. — Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026 On Wednesday, Disney admitted to shareholders that Moana and The Mandalorian and Grogu underperformed at the box office but spun both as titles that helped boost revenue in other parts of the company. — James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 6 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for shareholder

Word History

First Known Use

1755, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of shareholder was in 1755

Rhymes for shareholder

See All Rhymes for shareholder

Browse Nearby Words

shareef
shareholder
shareman
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Shareholder.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shareholder. Accessed 8 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

shareholder

noun
share·​hold·​er -ˌhōl-dər How to pronounce shareholder (audio)
: one that owns or holds a share in property
especially : stockholder

Legal Definition

shareholder

noun
share·​hold·​er
: one that owns a share in a fund (as a mutual fund) or property
especially : stockholder see also derivative action, equity sense 4c, proxy contest
shareholding adjective or noun

More from Merriam-Webster on shareholder

Nglish: Translation of shareholder for Spanish Speakers

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