1
a
: formed into an association and endowed by law with the rights and liabilities of an individual : incorporated
b
: of or relating to a corporation
a plan to reorganize the corporate structure
c
: of, relating to, or being the large corporations of a country or region considered as a unit
the latest trend in corporate America
d
: having qualities (such as commercialism or lack of originality) associated with large corporations or attributed to their influence or control
corporate rock music
corporate art
2
: of, relating to, or formed into a unified body of individuals
Human law arises by the corporate action of a people … George H. Sabine
3
corporately adverb

Examples of corporate in a Sentence

We have to change the corporate structure to survive. A bunch of corporate types in suits were sitting at the table in the conference room. He is one of the most powerful men in corporate America. The business is a corporate entity.
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.
Starting with just 10 cars and one client in Pune, the company spent two years optimizing fleet utilization across multiple corporate clients with different shift patterns. Tima Bansal, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2025 The site was formerly home to CNO Financial Group’s corporate headquarters, before the company moved to a new location in Carmel last year, and includes several other properties. Jake Allen, IndyStar, 7 Aug. 2025 Each year, Power to Pursue hosts a summit welcoming a lineup of standout female speakers who excel in a range of fields for mothers, female entrepreneurs, women in corporate jobs and all kinds of other attendees. Grace Tucker, The Enquirer, 7 Aug. 2025 Bands find themselves at odds with venues, artists at odds with their agencies, and festivals with their corporate owners. Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 7 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for corporate

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin corporātus, past participle of corporāre "to form into a body, form (an organized social group)," verbal derivative of corpor-, corpus "body, organized group of people" — more at midriff

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of corporate was in the 15th century

Cite this Entry

“Corporate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/corporate. Accessed 17 Aug. 2025.

Kids Definition

corporate

adjective
1
a
: formed into a corporation
b
: of, relating to, or being a corporation
take corporate action
2
: of, relating to, or being a whole composed of individuals
united together and took corporate action
corporately adverb

Legal Definition

corporate

1 of 2 adjective
: of or relating to a business corporation

corporate

2 of 2 noun
: a bond issued by a business corporation

More from Merriam-Webster on corporate

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