stakeholder
UK: ˈsteɪkˌhəʊldə | US: ˈsteɪkˌhoʊldər
n. a person or group with an interest or concern in something, especially a business or organization
n. a person holding money or property in trust during a dispute or wager
stakeholder = stake<share/interest> + hold<grasp/keep> + er<agent suffix>
- stake (from Old English staca "post, stake," later extended to mean "financial interest" via gambling metaphors)
- hold (from Old English healdan "to grasp, possess")
- er (agentive suffix indicating a person associated with an action)
Etymology Origin:
The term stakeholder emerged in the 1700s, originally referring to someone who held the stakes (money or property) in a bet or dispute. By the 1960s, it evolved into business jargon to describe individuals or groups with vested interests in an organization’s success, reflecting the metaphorical "stake" as a share or investment. The logic mirrors gambling: just as bettors have a stake in a wager’s outcome, stakeholders have a vested interest in an enterprise.
The company’s stakeholders include employees, investors, and local communities.
As a stakeholder in the project, she demanded transparency in decision-making.
Environmental groups are key stakeholders in the debate over the new policy.
The mediator acted as a neutral stakeholder during the negotiation.
Shareholders are not the only stakeholders affected by corporate mergers.