blue chip

9 synonyms and 4 antonyms for blue chip, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.

Noun — A share in a large, long-established company that is widely known, financially solid and has a long record of trading; also the company itself.

Synonyms

Everyday swaps

Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.

premier

Less common

Still standard English, but they carry more weight.

prestigious

Rare, literary or technical

Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.

large cap household name leading share bellwether stock top-tier first-rate gilt-edged

Synonyms by Meaning

1. noun finance

A share in a large, long-established company that is widely known, financially solid and has a long record of trading; also the company itself.

“The index is made up mostly of blue chips and a handful of newer firms.”

large cap household name leading share bellwether stock

Opposites

penny stock small cap

2. adjective general, business

Describing a company, share or client of the highest standing and reliability; by extension, describing anything regarded as of the very best quality.

“The agency has a blue-chip client list.”

top-tier first-rate prestigious gilt-edged premier

Opposites

second-rate speculative

How to use blue chip

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

blue chip stocks blue-chip company blue-chip client blue-chip index

Neutral in finance; outside it, the adjective is a general compliment meaning top quality, as in blue-chip credentials.

Etymology

From the blue chip, traditionally the highest-value counter in poker.

Full origin of blue chip →

Frequently asked questions

What makes a company a blue chip?

There is no official register. The label is applied to companies that are large by market value, well known, long established and consistently profitable, and that usually appear in a country's main share index. Because the criteria are informal, lists differ between sources, and a company can lose the description if its position weakens.

Why is it called blue chip?

The phrase comes from poker, where the blue counter has traditionally been worth the most. It was carried over to the stock market to describe the shares regarded as the most valuable and dependable.

Are blue chip shares safe?

Blue chip describes size and standing, not safety. Large, established companies can and do fall in value, cut dividends or fail, and the label makes no promise about future performance.

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premier prestigious speculative

Nearby words

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