stake
noun
uk/steɪk/ us [ C, usually singular ] FINANCE
the amount that someone has invested in a company, often expressed as a percentage of the total share capital (= money invested in a business in the form of shares):
a 15%/3%/10%, etc. stake His 22% stake makes him the retailer's biggest shareholder.
have/hold/own a stake (in sth) The Chief Executive has a controlling stake in the company worth €58m.
acquire/buy/sell a stake (in sth)
increase/raise/reduce a stake (in sth)
have a stake in sth
if you have a stake in something, its success or failure will have an effect on you:
All three officials have a personal stake in the President's re-election as it would allow them to keep their jobs.
stakes [ plural ]
the amount of money you risk losing by guessing the result of something wrongly:
The City continued to play for high stakes in shares of the airline.
in a business activity, the stakes are the level of risk and possible profit involved:
Given the high stakes for both hardware makers and software suppliers, neither side is likely to give up easily.
at stake
if something like money, a job, or someone's reputation is at stake, it is in danger of being lost because of a particular situation:
The company's reputation is at stake and they need to act quickly and decisively.
Up to 300 jobs are thought to be at stake at head office.
See also
equity stake
majority stake
minority stake
stake
verb [ T ]
uk/steɪk/ usstake a/your claim
to state that you have a right to something and that it should belong to you:
Foreign companies across a range of sectors seek to stake a claim in China's fast-growing economy.
stake a claim to/for/on sth Various countries are trying to stake their claims to the oil under the polar ice cap.
Phrasal verb
stake sth on sth