noun Uncommon

IPO

IPO (noun) means Short for initial public offering — the first time a company sells shares to the general public on a stock exchange. Example: “The startup's IPO raised over two billion dollars.”

noun

Short for initial public offering — the first time a company sells shares to the general public on a stock exchange.

"The startup's IPO raised over two billion dollars."

"Employees held stock options that only paid off after the IPO."

How to use IPO

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishThe moment a private company "goes public" and starts trading shares anyone can buy.

Common mistake

IPO is normally a noun ("the IPO"), though it's sometimes used loosely as a verb ("the company IPO'd in 2021").

Common pairings

launch an IPO IPO price go public with an IPO

Word forms

IPOed past tense, IPO'ed past tense, IPO-ed past tense, IPOs singular

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The startup's _____ raised over two billion dollars.

Synonyms

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initial offering initial public offering

Frequently asked questions

What does “IPO” mean?

The word “IPO” means short for initial public offering — the first time a company sells shares to the general public on a stock exchange. In plain terms, the moment a private company "goes public" and starts trading shares anyone can buy.

How do you use “IPO” in a sentence?

Here is “IPO” used in a sentence: “The startup's IPO raised over two billion dollars.”

What part of speech is “IPO”?

“IPO” is a noun.

Is “IPO” a common word?

“IPO” is an uncommon word in modern English.

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Vocabulary lists that include IPO:

Words that end with O