corporate

adjective

cor·​po·​rate ˈkȯr-p(ə-)rət 

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

: corporative sense 2

corporately adverb

Synonyms of corporate

• commercial

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

In many cases, remote and hybrid professionals care less about proximity to corporate cities than about lifestyle. — Justin Donald, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026

Under a less dire scenario, Paramount could shift its corporate headquarters to another state to qualify for incentives but still maintain large staffs in the creative hubs of Los Angeles and New York, where the company has its legal headquarters. — Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2026

The rising prosperity of many Americans and their businesses also juiced demand for expensive services, from corporate law to management consulting to plastic surgery. — Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 14 Sep. 2026

That includes investment-grade corporate bonds, which have attractive yields and relatively strong credit fundamentals, Alvarado said. — Michelle Fox, CNBC, 14 Sep. 2026

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

Phrases Containing corporate

• anti-corporate
• body corporate
• corporate conglomeration
• corporate ladder
• corporate welfare
• corporate-wide
• inter-corporate

Kids Definition

corporate

adjective

cor·​po·​rate ˈkȯr-p(ə-)rət 

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

cor·​po·​rate ˈkȯr-pə-rət 

: of or relating to a business corporation

corporate

2 of 2 noun

: a bond issued by a business corporation