an institution created to conduct business
"he only invests in large well-established companies"
"he started the company in his garage"
small military unit; usually two or three platoons
"The general ordered the company to advance on the ridge before dawn."
the state of being with someone
"he missed their company"
"he enjoyed the society of his friends"
a social gathering of guests or companions
"the house was filled with company when I arrived"
crew of a ship including the officers; the whole force or personnel of a ship
"When the captain gave the order to lower the boats, every member of the company scrambled to their assigned stations without delay."
A team; a group of people who work together professionally.
"Our company launched its new product line last week, bringing together engineers and designers from three different offices."
A group of individuals who work together for a common purpose.
"The new company launched its first product after three years of collaborative development by twenty engineers."
In plain English: A company is a group of people who work together for the same business.
"We went out for dinner so we would not be eating alone."
Usage: Use "company" to refer to an organization or business entity, such as when discussing a specific firm like Google or Apple. Do not use it to mean the act of working together with colleagues, which should instead be described as collaboration or teamwork.
be a companion to somebody
"The old dog was always happy to keep my grandfather company while he read his morning paper."
To accompany, keep company with.
"I decided to stay home and just watch a movie while my best friend kept me company all evening."
In plain English: To company someone means to stay with them and keep them from being lonely.
"Let's keep each other company while we wait for the train."
Usage: Use "company" as a verb to mean accompanying someone or keeping them in good spirits, often phrased as "keep company with." This usage is formal and less common than the noun form, so reserve it for contexts where you are explicitly describing the act of staying with another person.
The word "company" comes from the Old French compaignie, meaning companionship, which was formed by combining compaignon (companion) with a suffix indicating a group or state. It entered English to replace native terms like werod and gefer, originally referring to a team of people before evolving to mean a social gathering or business organization.