merger

noun

merg·​er ˈmər-jər 

1

law : the absorption of an estate, a contract, or an interest in another, of a minor offense in a greater, or of a cause of action into a judgment

2

a

: the act or process of merging

b

: absorption by a corporation of one or more others

also : any of various methods of combining two or more organizations (such as business concerns)

Synonyms of merger

• merging
• consolidation
• unification
• amalgamation
• combining

Examples of merger in a Sentence

The law firm announced its $50 million merger with one of its competitors.

If the proposed merger of the two oil companies goes through, it would be bad for the economy.

Recent Examples on the Web

California’s Public Utilities Commission is scheduled to vote next week to approve the merger that would bolster Southern California’s dominant provider with more than 5 million customers. — Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 8 Aug. 2026

Nandy waved the merger through after receiving some pretty painless assurances from Ellison, including preserving the editorial independence of 5 News and kids channels. — Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 7 Aug. 2026

Increasing market consolidation, through mergers and acquisitions, among infrastructure providers will drive lasting change in emerging markets. — Zaki Farooq, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026

And with never-ending layoffs, dystopian mergers, and Hollywood as a production desert, ’26 didn’t lend itself to snappy one-liners. — Dana Harris-Bridson, IndieWire, 7 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

merge + -er (as in waiver)

First Known Use

1728, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing merger

• pre-merger

Rhymes for merger

• verger

Kids Definition

merger

noun

merg·​er ˈmər-jər 

: the combination of two or more businesses into one

Legal Definition

merger

noun

merg·​er ˈmər-jər 

1

: the absorption of a lesser estate or interest into a greater one held by the same person compare confusion

2

: the incorporation and superseding of one contract by another

3

a

: the treatment (as by statute) of two offenses deriving from the same conduct such that a defendant cannot be or is not punished for both especially when one offense is incidental to or necessarily included in the other

a merger of offenses in a statute

a merger of convictions

b

: the doctrine according to which such offenses must be merged compare double jeopardy

Note: Merger commonly involves the interpretation of statutes and legislative intent in deciding whether two or more offenses deriving from the same conduct remain distinct.

4

: a doctrine in civil litigation: a judgment in favor of a plaintiff incorporates and supersedes the cause of action and any claims based on it and requires that further litigation in the case by the defendant be concerned with the judgment itself compare bar sense 3b, estoppel by judgment at estoppel sense 2a, res judicata

5

: the superseding of a prior agreement in a divorce case by the divorce decree

6

a

: the act or process of merging

b

: absorption by one corporation of another

also : any of various methods of combining two or more organizations (as business concerns) compare consolidate

— cash merger

: a merger in which shareholders in the company to be absorbed receive cash for their shares rather than shares in the absorbing company

a tender offer to be followed by a cash merger

see also cash out

— de facto merger

: a merger that is characterized by the issuance of stock to the corporation to be absorbed rather than an outright purchase of assets for cash, by continued participation of the shareholders, directors, and employees of the absorbed corporation, and by an assumption of liabilities by the absorbing corporation

Note: Shareholders in a de facto merger are considered to have the same right to an appraisal of the fair value of their shares as shareholders in a statutory merger.

— short-form merger

: an accelerated statutory merger between a subsidiary and a parent corporation that controls a large specified majority of shares in the subsidiary

— statutory merger

: a merger performed in accordance with relevant statutes that require specific procedures for the notification and approval of shareholders