(1) In finance a 'share' is a unit of account for various financial instruments including stocks, mutual funds, limited partnerships, and REIT's. In British English, the usage of the word 'share' alone to refer solely to stocks is so common that it almost replaces the word 'stock' itself. A 'shareholder' or 'stockholder' is an individual or company (including a corporation), that legally owns one or more shares of stock in a joint stock company.
New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.