merger

[ mur-jer ]
See synonyms for merger on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. a statutory combination of two or more corporations by the transfer of the properties to one surviving corporation.

  2. any combination of two or more business enterprises into a single enterprise.

  1. an act or instance of merging: Astronomers say that the merger of galaxies can take a billion years.

  2. Phonetics. the process or phenomenon whereby two distinct speech sounds come to be pronounced identically: for instance, the cot–caught vowel merger has taken place in some dialects of English.

Origin of merger

1
First recorded in 1720–30; merge + -er1

Other words from merger

  • an·ti·merg··er, adjective
  • de·merg·er, noun
  • pre·merg·er, adjective
  • pro·merg·er, adjective

Words Nearby merger

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use merger in a sentence

  • An example is the merger of a city government unit and a county government unit into a revised city government unit.

  • This was the first trust—what they call a merger—but it occurred in politics.

  • You understand, Mr. Robertson, that such an important merger can hardly be arranged at a moment's notice.

    Cue for Quiet | Thomas L. Sherred
  • On the 26th another merger of the special interests was accomplished.

    John Brown, Soldier of Fortune | Hill Peebles Wilson
  • St. John says that this merger was made at the instigation of the Mine Owners.

    The I.W.W. | Paul Frederick Brissenden

British Dictionary definitions for merger

merger

/ (ˈmɜːdʒə) /


noun
  1. commerce the combination of two or more companies, either by the creation of a new organization or by absorption by one of the others: Often called (Brit): amalgamation

  2. law the extinguishment of an estate, interest, contract, right, offence, etc, by its absorption into a greater one

  1. the act of merging or the state of being merged

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for merger

merger

The union of two or more independent corporations under a single ownership. Also known as takeovers, mergers may be friendly or hostile. In the latter case, the buying company, having met with resistance from directors of the targeted company, usually offers an inflated (overmarket) price to persuade stockholders of the targeted company to sell their shares to it. Such mergers often have been financed by junk bonds.

Notes for merger

Especially common in the 1980s, hostile takeovers have become highly controversial. Some contend that they bring needed infusions of capital and efficiency to the targeted company. Others argue that, having borrowed heavily to finance the merger, the buyer is forced to sell valuable assets of the targeted company to pay off its debt.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.