partnership

noun

part·​ner·​ship ˈpärt-nər-ˌship How to pronounce partnership (audio)
 also  ˈpärd-
1
: the state of being a partner : participation
scientists working in partnership with each other
2
a
: a legal relation existing between two or more persons contractually associated as joint principals in a business
began a legal partnership with his uncle
b
: the persons joined together in a partnership
the partnership computes its net income … in a manner similar to that of an individualJ. K. Lasser
3
: a relationship resembling a legal partnership and usually involving close cooperation between parties having specified and joint rights and responsibilities
The band has maintained a successful partnership for 10 years.

Examples of partnership in a Sentence

two people joined in partnership scientists working in partnership with each other The company is developing a new car in partnership with leading auto manufacturers in Japan. Their marriage is a partnership that has remained strong despite family illness. The singing duo has maintained a successful partnership for 20 years. a notable partnership between two experienced scientists in the field He joined the partnership last year.
Recent Examples on the Web Aaron Judge just scored a major beauty partnership. Jackie Fields, Peoplemag, 14 Mar. 2024 Missing You and Run Away will be the 9th and 10th Coben on-screen adaptations, respectively, produced via his ongoing creative partnership with the streaming giant. Georg Szalai, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Mar. 2024 Altman and the board promoted Ellen Pao, then the head of strategic partnerships, to interim CEO, making her Reddit’s fifth leader in five years. Paresh Dave, WIRED, 14 Mar. 2024 In any good partnership, each party needs to have real power. Roy Bahat, Fortune, 14 Mar. 2024 And in January, Dollar Tree and Family Dollar signed a multi-year partnership agreement with Legacy Motor Club to make the brands visible during the 2024 NASCAR season. Francisco Velasquez, Quartz, 13 Mar. 2024 The department last year established the Arizona Education Economic Commission, which formed a partnership between 15 districts and a group of 20 major Arizona companies, such as Banner Health, Raytheon and the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Nick Sullivan, The Arizona Republic, 12 Mar. 2024 Paramount has even reportedly explored a streaming partnership with Peacock owner Comcast, too. Emma Roth, The Verge, 12 Mar. 2024 This lawsuit claimed that the partnership with Microsoft has led OpenAI away from its initial commitment to open-source development in the field of Artificial General Intelligence. Detroit Free Press, 2 Mar. 2024

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

Word History

First Known Use

1576, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of partnership was in 1576

Dictionary Entries Near partnership

Cite this Entry

“Partnership.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/partnership. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

partnership

noun
part·​ner·​ship ˈpärt-nər-ˌship How to pronounce partnership (audio)
1
: the state of being a partner
2
: a business organization owned by two or more persons who agree to share the profits and losses

Legal Definition

partnership

noun
part·​ner·​ship
: an association of two or more persons or entities that conduct a business for profit as co-owners see also Uniform Partnership Act compare corporation, joint venture, sole proprietorship

Note: Except in civil law as practiced in Louisiana, where a partnership, like a corporation, is considered a legal person, a partnership is traditionally viewed as an association of individuals rather than as an entity with a separate and independent existence. A partnership cannot exist beyond the lives of the partners. The partners are taxed as individuals and are personally liable for torts and contractual obligations. Each partner is viewed as the other's agent and, traditionally, is jointly and severally liable for the tortious acts of any one of the partners.

commercial partnership
: trading partnership in this entry
family limited partnership
: a limited partnership in which the partners are members of a family
family partnership
: a partnership in which the partners are members of a family
general partnership
: a partnership in which each partner is liable for all partnership debts and obligations in full regardless of the amount of the individual partner's capital contribution compare limited partnership in this entry
limited liability partnership
: a partnership formed under applicable state statute in which the partnership is liable as an entity for debts and obligations and the partners are not liable personally
limited partnership
: a partnership in which the business is managed by one or more general partners and is provided with capital by limited partners who do not participate in management but who share in profits and whose individual liability is limited to the amount of their respective capital contributions compare general partnership in this entry
master limited partnership
: a limited partnership that offers interests for sale on the market
also : the interests themselves sold as securities
mining partnership
: a partnership in which two or more persons jointly own a mining claim and actually engage in extracting minerals with the purpose of sharing profits and losses
nontrading partnership
: a partnership that is not engaged in the buying and selling of goods

called also non-commercial partnership

compare trading partnership in this entry
partnership at will
: a partnership whose duration is not fixed by contract and that is terminable at will by any partner
partnership by estoppel
: a partnership created by operation of law when a defendant by words or conduct represents himself or herself to the plaintiff or to the public as a partner and the plaintiff relies on the representation to his or her detriment
partnership in commendam
in the civil law of Louisiana : limited partnership in this entry
trading partnership
: a partnership whose business involves the buying and selling of goods

called also commercial partnership

compare nontrading partnership in this entry

More from Merriam-Webster on partnership

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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