ENGLISH
REFERENCE

stake

n. countable
C1 Advanced Oxford US //ˈsteɪk// UK //stˈeɪk// stake

n. a share or interest in a business, plan, or situation. It can also mean the money or risk you have involved in the success of something.

n. a share or financial involvement in an enterprise, or a personal interest in the outcome of a situation. Often used metaphorically to describe the level of risk or potential gain an individual holds.


SIMPLE

She has a twenty percent stake in the family business.

CONTEXTUAL

Every employee has a stake in the company's success because they all receive annual performance bonuses.

COMPLEX

The diplomat argued that all regional powers have a significant stake in the peace process, as any further instability would inevitably lead to a refugee crisis across their borders.

Synonyms
Origin

From Middle English stake, from Old English staca (“pin, tack, stake”), from Proto-West Germanic stakō, from Proto-Germanic stakô (“stake”), from Proto-Indo-European stog-, steg- (“stake”). Cognate with Scots stak, staik, Saterland Frisian Stak, West Frisian staak, Dutch staak, Low German Stake, Norwegian stake, Spanish estaca.

Usage

Commonly used with the preposition 'in' to indicate the object of interest or investment.

Idioms1 entry

© 2026 English Reference