share

Formsshares, sharing, shared

Pluralshares

1. 1
   have togetherverbtransitive

   To have or use something jointly with one or more other people.

   Roommates often share a kitchen and a bathroom.

   The two startups share office space downtown to cut costs.

   UsageShare something with someone, or use a plural subject: my sister and I share a bedroom.

   Note

   Here nothing changes hands: two parties simply hold the same thing at once. Milton's line "While Avarice and Rapine share the Land" uses it ominously, with two vices occupying one country together. Contrast giving part away, where the giver ends up with less. Source

   Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 1 fact

   • Milton wrote the quoted line, personifying Avarice and Rapine as jointly possessing the land. rpo.library.utoronto.ca
2. 2
   tell othersverbtransitive

   To tell something (news, thoughts, or feelings) to another person.

   Please share your ideas with the group during the meeting.

   She shared the results of the study with her colleagues.

   UsageShare news, ideas or feelings with someone: share the results with colleagues.

   Similarcommunicate, disclose, reveal, present

   Oppositewithhold

   Note

   The word's warmth is easy to exploit. Oliver Burkeman, in The Guardian Weekly in 2013, mocks web companies that boast of letting you "share the things you love with the world" while profiting from distraction and interruption. Source

   Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 3 facts

   • The passage is by Oliver Burkeman and appeared in The Guardian Weekly in 2013. en.wiktionary.org
   • Burkeman quotes web companies' promise to let users share what they love with the world. theguardian.com
   • Burkeman criticizes the profitability of online distraction and interruption. en.wiktionary.org
3. 3
   verbtransitive or intransitive

   To give part of something you have to other people, or to divide something among people so that each has a portion.

   After the game, the coach likes to share the leftover oranges among players on both teams.

   He shared his lunch with a classmate who had forgotten hers.

   UsageShare something with a person, or among or between several people.

   Similardivide, split, distribute, apportion

   Oppositehoard, keep

4. 4
   portionnouncountable

   A portion of something, especially the part given or allotted to a particular person.

   She received her share of the inheritance after the will was read.

   Each partner takes an equal share of the year's profits.

   UsageOften your fair share (more than its fair share), and a share of something, such as a 10% share of the audience.

   Similarportion, part, allotment

5. 5
   company stocknouncountable

   A financial instrument representing partial ownership of a company, carrying the benefit of limited liability.

   Investors who hold shares may receive a dividend each year.

   She bought a single share so she could attend the annual meeting.

   UsageUsually plural, with buy, hold or sell: ten shares in a company.

   Similarstock

   Note

   Finance turns the portion into a countable unit of ownership. Each share gives its holder a claim on a company's profits and assets according to its class, while the holder's liability stops at what the share costs, including any amount still unpaid on it. Source

   Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 1 fact

   • A share represents a unit of ownership in a company. investor.gov
6. 6
   give file accessverbtransitive

   To make computer data or storage space available to others over a network.

   Administrators can share a drive so remote staff reach the same files.

   The server shares its storage with every connected workstation.

7. 7
   social medianouncountable

   The act of distributing a piece of content to others through social media.

   The video earned millions of shares within hours of posting.

   A single share from a popular account can spread news quickly.

   Similarrepost

   Note

   On social media a share is a unit of attention, counted alongside likes and follows. Brooke Warner, in Green-Light Your Book (2016), recommends images as a way to "increase shares and likes and follows." Unlike the ordinary portion, nothing is divided here. Each share copies content to a new audience, which is why platforms tally shares as a measure of engagement. Source

   Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 2 facts

   • Brooke Warner wrote Green-Light Your Book, published in 2016. simonandschuster.com
   • Warner recommends images using the exact words “increase shares and likes and follows.” en.wiktionary.org

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