corp

IPA/kˈɔːp/
KK[kˈɔrp]IPA/kˈɔːrp/

corp — noun

1. a short way of writing 'corporation' that appears at the end of a company's offi

1.nounB2
Definition

a short way of writing 'corporation' that appears at the end of a company's official name, mostly in American English.

Example

The legal documents listed Sayaka as a director of Hillview Tech Corp.

used at the end of a company name in writing

Eitan applied for a software engineer role at Mountain Energy Corp last Tuesday.

appears in formal job titles and applications

Common collocations
  • [Brand] Corp.
  • Corp. listing
  • Corp. headquarters
Synonyms
  • Inc.

    abbreviation for 'Incorporated', used for the same legal idea

  • Ltd.

    British equivalent for 'Limited' company

  • Co.

    shorter abbreviation for 'Company', less specific about legal form

Grammar Patterns

[Company Name] Corp.

[Company Name] Corp

Usage Note

Belongs to written English — almost always seen on letterheads, business cards, contracts, and stock tickers, never spoken. Often punctuated 'Corp.' (with a period) in American style; the period is usually dropped in headings and logos. Distinguish from sense 2: this 'corp' refers to a business; sense 2 refers to a low-ranking soldier.

Common Mistakes

I work for the Apple Corp.
I work for Apple Inc.' / 'I work for the Apple corporation.
'Corp' is part of the formal registered name (e.g., 'Microsoft Corp.'); don't add 'the' or use it as a generic word for 'company'.

2. a short written form of 'corporal', placed before the surname of a low-ranking s

2.nounC1
Definition

a short written form of 'corporal', placed before the surname of a low-ranking soldier on official military paperwork or signs.

Example

The duty roster listed Corp. Quan as the leader of the night patrol.

title used directly before a soldier's surname

A small brass plate above the bunk read 'Corp. Aaron Walker, Second Battalion'.

appears on name plates and bunk tags

Common collocations
  • Corp. [Surname]
  • Corp. [Initial]. [Surname]
Synonyms
  • Cpl.

    alternative abbreviation, more common in U.S. Marine and Army documents

  • Corporal

    the full spoken and written form

Grammar Patterns

Corp. [Surname]

Corp [Surname]

Usage Note

Strictly written — when speaking, soldiers and officers say the full word 'Corporal'. Mostly seen on rosters, name plates, signed orders, and gravestones. Distinguish from sense 1: this 'Corp.' precedes a person's name; the company sense follows a brand name.

Common Mistakes

The Corp gave the order.
The Corporal gave the order.' / 'Corp. Lee gave the order.
'Corp' is a written abbreviation that needs a name after it, not a stand-alone noun.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

These abbreviations all signal that a business is a registered legal entity, but each points to a slightly different structure and region. 'Corp.' (corporation) and 'Inc.' (incorporated) are both American and indicate a company that exists as a separate legal person, with shareholders and limited liability — many U.S. firms can use either, and the choice is mostly a matter of preference at registration. 'Ltd.' is the British and Commonwealth equivalent, marking a private limited company; you see it on UK, Hong Kong, and Singapore signage. 'Co.' simply stands for 'Company' and is older and vaguer — it doesn't say anything about the legal form. 'LLC' (Limited Liability Company) is a more recent American structure that combines features of a corporation and a partnership. So 'Apple Inc.' and 'Microsoft Corp.' are American giants; 'Tesco Ltd.' is British; 'Smith & Co.' sounds traditional; and 'Acme Consulting LLC' is a small, modern U.S. firm.

Corp.Inc. ↗Ltd. ↗Co. ↗LLC

Common collocations

Nouns

  • Corp. headquarters
  • Corp. listing
  • Corp. logo

Phrases

  • [Brand] Corp.
  • Corp. [Surname]

Prepositions

  • of (a Corp.)
  • at (a Corp.)

Etymology

Latin (corpus)Old FrenchMiddle EnglishModern English

'Corp' is simply a shortened written form of two longer Latin-rooted words: 'corporation' and 'corporal'. Both come from the Latin 'corpus' meaning 'body' — a corporation is treated in law as a single 'body' of people acting together, and a corporal was originally the head of a small 'body' of soldiers. English has used the abbreviation since at least the 1700s, mainly on official paperwork where space was tight, and it took off in the United States in the 19th and 20th centuries as company names began to crowd onto signs, letterheads, and stock tickers.