the company

== English == === Alternative forms === companie (obsolete) === Etymology === From Middle English companye (“a team; companionship”), from Old French compaignie (“companionship”) (Modern French: compagnie), possibly from Late Latin *compania, but this word is not attested. Old French compaignie is equivalent to Old French compaignon (Modern French: compagnon) + -ie. More at companion. Displaced native Old English werod, gefer, getæl, and hired. === Pronunciation === (UK) (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈkʌmp(ə)ni/ (dialectal) IPA(key): /ˈkɒmp(ə)ni/ (US) IPA(key): /ˈkʌmpəni/ (Indic) IPA(key): /kəmp(ə)ˈni/, /ˈkɔmp(ə)ni/, (spelling pronunciation) /kəmˈpeni/ Rhymes: -ʌmpni, -ʌmpəni Hyphenation: com‧pany === Noun === company (countable and uncountable, plural companies) A team; a group of people who work together professionally. A group of individuals who work together for a common purpose. (military) A unit of approximately sixty to one hundred and twenty soldiers, typically consisting of two or three platoons and forming part of a battalion. A unit of firefighters and their equipment. (nautical) The entire crew of a ship. (espionage, informal) An intelligence service. A small group of birds or animals. (law) An entity having legal personality, and thus able to own property and to sue and be sued in its own name; a corporation. Synonyms: see Thesaurus:enterprise (business) Any business, whether incorporated or not, that manufactures or sells products (also known as goods), or provides services as a commercial venture. (uncountable) Social visitors or companions. (A group of) adversaries, enemies, or rivals; unwanted company. (uncountable) Companionship. ==== Synonyms ==== (in legal context, a corporation): corporation (group of individuals with a common purpose): association, companionship, fellowship, organization, society (companionship): fellowship, friendship, mateship ==== Hyponyms ==== See also Thesaurus:enterprise. ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Related terms ==== accompany companion discompany ==== Descendants ==== → Hindi: कंपनी (kampnī) → Hokkien: 公班衙 (kong-pan-gêe / kong-pan-gê) → Malay: kompeni → Scottish Gaelic: companaidh → Swahili: kampuni ==== Translations ==== === Verb === company (third-person singular simple present companies, present participle companying, simple past and past participle companied) (archaic, transitive) To accompany, keep company with. (archaic, intransitive) To associate. (obsolete, intransitive) To be a lively, cheerful companion. (obsolete, intransitive) To have sexual intercourse. ==== Synonyms ==== (to accompany): attend, escort, go with (to have sexual intercourse): fornicate, have sex, make love; see also Thesaurus:copulate == Catalan == === Etymology === Inherited from Late Latin compāniō, from Latin cum + pānis (“bread”). This form was inherited from the Latin nominative, while the variant companyó came from the accusative compāniōnem. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): (Central) [kumˈpaɲ] IPA(key): (Balearic, Valencia) [komˈpaɲ] Rhymes: -aɲ === Noun === company m (plural companys, feminine companya, feminine plural companyes) companion, colleague partner, mate buddy, friend ==== Derived terms ==== acompanyar ==== Related terms ==== companyia === References === === Further reading === “company”, in Diccionari de la llengua catalana [Dictionary of the Catalan Language] (in Catalan), second edition, Institute of Catalan Studies [Catalan: Institut d'Estudis Catalans], April 2007 == Middle English == === Noun === company alternative form of companye