merger

noun

merg·​er ˈmər-jər How to pronounce merger (audio)
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)

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 Kroger announced a merger with fellow grocery store chain Albertsons in 2022, but the acquisition is currently being blocked by various lawsuits over fears that the merger would lead to fewer stores, higher prices, and less jobs. Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Mar. 2024 Dozens of other mergers were allowed to go through. The Editors, National Review, 4 Mar. 2024 The Murtha Skouras Agency was created in 2016 following the mergers of The Murtha Agency and The Skouras Agency. Jaden Thompson, Variety, 4 Mar. 2024 Judge blocks JetBlue-Spirit merger in win for U.S. antitrust efforts The two carriers had been in the midst of appealing a federal judge’s ruling in January that blocked the $3.8 billion transaction. Lori Aratani, Washington Post, 4 Mar. 2024 The Biden administration has taken a much more aggressive approach in fighting mergers and combinations, including in the airline industry. Chris Isidore, CNN, 4 Mar. 2024 When in the process of acquiring companies in 2024 and beyond, cloud security needs to be prioritized as part of the due diligence process ahead of an acquisition rather than leaving it to be addressed after a merger. Avi Shua, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 The two companies engaged in serious merger discussions last month before the talks wound down in recent weeks. William Gavin, Quartz, 27 Feb. 2024 Despite 14% Decline in Ad Revenue There’s been much speculation, of course, in recent months about one of those solutions being yet another merger for a company that has gone through two major transactions, first with AT&T and then with Discovery, since 2018. Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 24 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'merger.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

merge + -er (as in waiver)

First Known Use

1728, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of merger was in 1728

Dictionary Entries Near merger

Cite this Entry

“Merger.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/merger. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

merger

noun
merg·​er ˈmər-jər How to pronounce merger (audio)
: the combination of two or more businesses into one

Legal Definition

merger

noun
merg·​er ˈmər-jər How to pronounce merger (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on merger

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!