Word
dividend
Phoneticsdiv·i·dend, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈdɪvɪˌdɛnd/
UK/dˈɪvɪdənd/
Definitions
01company profit payment
C1 · Advanced Countable noun Law Technical
n. a part of a company's profit that is paid to the people who own shares in it.
n. a sum of money paid regularly by a company to its shareholders out of its profits or reserves.
“The company announced a higher dividend this year because profits were so strong.”
“The board of directors voted to issue a special dividend to shareholders following the successful divestment of the firm's overseas subsidiaries.”
Usage
Often used with the verbs 'pay', 'declare', or 'issue'.
02mathematics
C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Mathematics Technical
n. the number that is being divided by another number.
n. the quantity or number that is to be divided by another number, known as the divisor.
“In the calculation 20 divided by 5, the number 20 is the dividend.”
“The student struggled to identify the dividend within the complex algebraic fraction, confusing it with the divisor below the line.”
Antonyms
03to pay out profits
C2 · Proficiency Law Technical · Formal
v. to pay out a share of profits to shareholders.
v. to distribute a portion of corporate earnings to shareholders as a dividend.
“The firm decided to dividend its excess cash rather than reinvesting it.”
“The corporation chose to dividend the surplus capital to its investors to maintain a high stock valuation during the market downturn.”
Usage
This verb use is rare outside of specialized accounting or legal contexts.
Synonyms
Real-World Examples
“Real Madrid will hope the investment in Diomande pays dividends, as he resembles a dynamic, younger version of Vinicius Junior, and can perform on either wing.” “It resembles a bond because it pays a fixed dividend, akin to a fixed interest rate.” “Yet investment spending has barely moved, stock buybacks are on course to fall, and dividends have stayed flat .” Etymology
From Middle French dividende, from Latin dīvidendum (“thing to be divided”), future passive participle of dīvidō (“to divide”), by surface analysis, divide + -end.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Related words
Idioms
01. pay dividends
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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