Company means being with other people rather than alone. When you keep someone company, you stay with them so they don't feel lonely. A dog might keep its owner company while they work at their desk, or you might keep your grandmother company while she bakes cookies.

The word also refers to guests or visitors. When your parents say “we're having company over,” they mean people are coming to visit. Good company means people who are pleasant and interesting to be around.

A company is also a business organization. When people start a company, they create a structured group that works together to make or sell something. Apple is a technology company. Your local bakery is a company too, just much smaller. Companies can have one employee or hundreds of thousands. Some companies, called public companies, sell shares of ownership to investors. Others remain private companies, owned by a small group of people or families.

The phrase “two's company, three's a crowd” suggests that sometimes adding extra people changes the comfortable feeling of being together. And if you've ever heard the saying “misery loves company,” it means that unhappy people may want others around who feel the same way.