plural IPOs
: an initial public offering of a company's stock

Examples of IPO in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Even Alphabet posted negative free cash flow in Q2 for the first time since its 2004 IPO to help fund AI. — Alyson Shontell, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2026 Any company doing a div-recap is likely taking a forward-looking view that the IPO market will be closed in the short run. — Hugh Leask, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2026 SpaceX provided one this year, while the uncertain paths of Anthropic and OpenAI show how much of the market’s IPO momentum still rests on a small group of extraordinary companies. — Jeff Jacobs, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026 The stock is down more than 65% since a peak shortly after its IPO in March 2025. — John Towfighi, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for IPO

Word History

Etymology

initial public offering

First Known Use

1976, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of IPO was in 1976

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“IPO.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/IPO. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Legal Definition

: an initial public offering of a company's stock
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