Group vs. Company: Know the Difference
By Shumaila Saeed || Updated on December 25, 2023
A group is a collection of individuals or entities with common characteristics, while a company is a legal entity engaged in business activities.
Key Differences
A group refers to a collection of individuals or items that are considered together because of shared characteristics or a common purpose. In contrast, a company is a specific type of legal entity, usually formed for conducting business, which can involve selling goods or services.
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Dec 07, 2023
Groups can be informal or formal, with varying degrees of structure, and can exist for social, educational, professional, or other purposes. Companies, however, are formal entities with a defined legal structure and are often registered with a governmental or regulatory body.
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Dec 07, 2023
The purpose of a group is often to share interests, collaborate on tasks, or provide support to its members, without necessarily seeking profit. A company's primary goal, especially in a business context, is typically to engage in commercial activities with the intent of earning profits.
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Dec 07, 2023
Membership in a group can be based on voluntary association and can vary in size and duration. In a company, involvement is often based on employment, ownership (shares), or investment, and it exists as a continuous legal entity regardless of changes in membership.
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Dec 07, 2023
The term 'group' is more versatile and can be used in various contexts, ranging from casual gatherings to organized collectives. The term 'company' is more specific, often denoting a structured business organization with legal responsibilities and financial obligations.
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Dec 07, 2023
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Comparison Chart
Definition
Collection of individuals/entities with a common characteristic or purpose.
Legal entity engaged in business activities.
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Structure
Can be informal or formal, flexible structure.
Formal and legal structure, often registered.
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Dec 07, 2023
Primary Purpose
Collaboration, sharing interests, support.
Engaging in commercial activities for profit.
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Membership
Based on voluntary association, diverse purposes.
Based on employment, ownership, investment.
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Existence and Continuity
Can be temporary or permanent, less formal.
Continues as a legal entity despite member changes.
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Group and Company Definitions
Group
Several musicians who perform together as a unit.
The jazz group performed at the downtown club every Friday.
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Nov 25, 2023
Company
A business organization selling goods or services.
The company launched its new line of skincare products.
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Nov 25, 2023
Group
An assemblage of persons or objects gathered or located together; an aggregation
A group of dinner guests.
A group of buildings near the road.
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Oct 19, 2023
Company
An association of individuals created to conduct business.
The software company has offices in three countries.
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Nov 25, 2023
Group
A set of two or more figures that make up a unit or design, as in sculpture.
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Oct 19, 2023
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Group
A number of individuals or things considered or classed together because of similarities
A small group of supporters across the country.
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Oct 19, 2023
Company
One's companions or associates
Moved in fast company.
Is known by the company she keeps.
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Oct 19, 2023
Group
(Linguistics) A category of related languages that is less inclusive than a family.
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Oct 19, 2023
Group
A military unit consisting of two or more battalions and a headquarters.
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Oct 19, 2023
Company
The state of friendly companionship; fellowship
Was grateful for her company.
Friends who finally parted company.
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Oct 19, 2023
Group
A unit of two or more squadrons in the US Air Force, smaller than a wing.
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Oct 19, 2023
Group
Two or more atoms behaving or regarded as behaving as a single chemical unit.
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Oct 19, 2023
Company
A partner or partners not specifically named in a firm's title
Lee Rogers and Company.
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Oct 19, 2023
Group
(Geology) A stratigraphic unit, especially a unit consisting of two or more formations deposited during a single geologic era.
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Oct 19, 2023
Company
A subdivision of a military regiment or battalion that constitutes the lowest administrative unit. It is usually under the command of a captain and is made up of at least two platoons.
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Oct 19, 2023
Group
(Mathematics) A set, together with a binary associative operation, such that the set is closed under the operation, the set contains an identity element for the operation, and each element of the set has an inverse element with respect to the operation. The integers form a group under the operation of ordinary addition.
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Oct 19, 2023
Group
Of, relating to, constituting, or being a member of a group
A group discussion.
A group effort.
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Oct 19, 2023
Group
To place or arrange in a group
Grouped the children according to height.
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Oct 19, 2023
Group
To belong to or form a group
The soldiers began to group on the hillside.
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Oct 19, 2023
Group
A number of things or persons being in some relation to one another.
There is a group of houses behind the hill;
He left town to join a Communist group
A group of people gathered in front of the Parliament to demonstrate against the Prime Minister's proposals.
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Oct 19, 2023
Group
(group theory) A set with an associative binary operation, under which there exists an identity element, and such that each element has an inverse.
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Oct 19, 2023
Company
A group of individuals who work together for a common purpose.
A company of actors.
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Oct 19, 2023
Company
(military) A unit of approximately sixty to one hundred and twenty soldiers, typically consisting of two or three platoons and forming part of a battalion.
The boys in Company C
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Oct 19, 2023
Group
A (usually small) group of people who perform music together.
Did you see the new jazz group?
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Oct 19, 2023
Company
A unit of firefighters and their equipment.
It took six companies to put out the fire.
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Oct 19, 2023
Group
(astronomy) A small number (up to about fifty) of galaxies that are near each other.
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Oct 19, 2023
Company
An intelligence service.
As he had worked for the CIA for over 30 years, he would soon take retirement from the company.
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Oct 19, 2023
Group
(chemistry) A functional group.
Nitro is an electron-withdrawing group.
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Oct 19, 2023
Company
(legal) An entity having legal personality, and thus able to own property and to sue and be sued in its own name; a corporation.
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Oct 19, 2023
Company
(business) Any business, whether incorporated or not, that manufactures or sells products (also known as goods), or provides services as a commercial venture.
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Oct 19, 2023
Company
(uncountable) Social visitors or companions.
Keep the house clean; I have company coming.
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Oct 19, 2023
Group
(computing) A number of users with the same rights with respect to accession, modification, and execution of files, computers and peripherals.
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Oct 19, 2023
Group
An element of an espresso machine from which hot water pours into the portafilter.
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Oct 19, 2023
Group
(music) A number of eighth, sixteenth, etc., notes joined at the stems; sometimes rather indefinitely applied to any ornament made up of a few short notes.
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Oct 19, 2023
Group
(sports) A set of teams playing each other in the same division, while not during the same period playing any teams that belong to other sets in the division.
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Oct 19, 2023
Group
(transitive) To put together to form a group.
Group the dogs by hair colour
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Oct 19, 2023
Company
The state of being a companion or companions; the act of accompanying; fellowship; companionship; society; friendly intercourse.
Evil company doth corrupt good manners.
Brethren, farewell: your company alongI will not wish.
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Oct 19, 2023
Company
A companion or companions.
To thee and thy company I bidA hearty welcome.
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Oct 19, 2023
Group
A cluster, crowd, or throng; an assemblage, either of persons or things, collected without any regular form or arrangement; as, a group of men or of trees; a group of isles.
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Oct 19, 2023
Company
An assemblage or association of persons, either permanent or transient.
Thou shalt meet a company of prophets.
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Oct 19, 2023
Group
An assemblage of objects in a certain order or relation, or having some resemblance or common characteristic; as, groups of strata.
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Oct 19, 2023
Company
Guests or visitors, in distinction from the members of a family; as, to invite company to dine.
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Oct 19, 2023
Group
A variously limited assemblage of animals or plants, having some resemblance, or common characteristics in form or structure. The term has different uses, and may be made to include certain species of a genus, or a whole genus, or certain genera, or even several orders.
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Oct 19, 2023
Company
Society, in general; people assembled for social intercourse.
Nature has left every man a capacity of being agreeable, though not of shining in company.
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Oct 19, 2023
Group
A number of eighth, sixteenth, etc., notes joined at the stems; - sometimes rather indefinitely applied to any ornament made up of a few short notes.
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Oct 19, 2023
Company
An association of persons for the purpose of carrying on some enterprise or business; a corporation; a firm; as, the East India Company; an insurance company; a joint-stock company.
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Oct 19, 2023
Group
To form a group of; to arrange or combine in a group or in groups, often with reference to mutual relation and the best effect; to form an assemblage of.
The difficulty lies in drawing and disposing, or, as the painters term it, in grouping such a multitude of different objects.
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Oct 19, 2023
Company
Partners in a firm whose names are not mentioned in its style or title; - often abbreviated in writing; as, Hottinguer & Co.
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Oct 19, 2023
Company
A subdivision of a regiment of troops under the command of a captain, numbering in the United States (full strength) 100 men.
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Oct 19, 2023
Group
(chemistry) two or more atoms bound together as a single unit and forming part of a molecule
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Oct 19, 2023
Company
The crew of a ship, including the officers; as, a whole ship's company.
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Oct 19, 2023
Group
A set that is closed, associative, has an identity element and every element has an inverse
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Oct 19, 2023
Company
The body of actors employed in a theater or in the production of a play.
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Oct 19, 2023
Group
A number of people or things that are located, gathered, or classed together.
The tour guide led a group of tourists through the museum.
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Nov 25, 2023
Group
A set of individuals with a shared interest or purpose.
She joined a reading group at her local library.
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Nov 25, 2023
Group
A category or classification in a system.
In the periodic table, elements are arranged into groups.
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Nov 25, 2023
Company
An institution created to conduct business;
He only invests in large well-established companies
He started the company in his garage
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Oct 19, 2023
Group
A cluster or collection of objects or entities.
A group of islands can be seen off the coast.
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Nov 25, 2023
Company
Organization of performers and associated personnel (especially theatrical);
The traveling company all stayed at the same hotel
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Oct 19, 2023
Company
The state of being with someone;
He missed their company
He enjoyed the society of his friends
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Oct 19, 2023
Company
A band of people associated temporarily in some activity;
They organized a party to search for food
The company of cooks walked into the kitchen
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Oct 19, 2023
Company
A social gathering of guests or companions;
The house was filled with company when I arrived
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Oct 19, 2023
Company
A social or business visitor;
The room was a mess because he hadn't expected company
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Oct 19, 2023
Company
A unit of firefighters including their equipment;
A hook-and-ladder company
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Oct 19, 2023
Company
Crew of a ship including the officers; the whole force or personnel of a ship
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Oct 19, 2023
Company
The state of being with another person or people.
She enjoyed the company of her friends at the party.
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Nov 25, 2023
Company
A unit of soldiers, typically part of a battalion.
He served in a company of the marine corps.
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Nov 25, 2023
Company
A guest or guests collectively.
We're having company over for dinner tonight.
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Nov 25, 2023
Repeatedly Asked Queries
Can a company be a group?
Yes, a company can be considered a group of people working together, but it is also a legal entity.
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Dec 07, 2023
What is a group?
A collection of individuals or items with common characteristics or a shared purpose.
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Dec 07, 2023
Can a group be a company?
Not necessarily; a group needs specific legal structure and purpose to be a company.
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Dec 07, 2023
What is the primary purpose of a company?
To conduct business activities, usually with the aim of making a profit.
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Dec 07, 2023
How is membership in a group determined?
Often based on shared interests or goals, and is usually voluntary.
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Dec 07, 2023
Can groups have legal responsibilities?
Some formal groups can, but generally, they have fewer legal responsibilities than companies.
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Dec 07, 2023
Do companies have legal responsibilities?
Yes, companies have specific legal obligations and responsibilities.
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Dec 07, 2023
What is a company?
A legal entity formed to engage in business, usually for profit.
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Dec 07, 2023
What is the primary purpose of a group?
Collaboration, sharing interests, or providing support, not always for profit.
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Dec 07, 2023
How is membership in a company determined?
Through employment, ownership (shares), or investment.
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Dec 07, 2023
Can a company be part of a group?
Companies can be part of business groups or conglomerates.
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Dec 07, 2023
Are groups always organized?
Groups can range from informal gatherings to highly organized entities.
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Dec 07, 2023
Can a group be part of a company?
Yes, groups such as departments or teams can exist within a company.
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Dec 07, 2023
Are companies always organized?
Companies are formally organized with a defined legal and operational structure.
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Dec 07, 2023
What is an example of a company in society?
A retail store or a technology firm.
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Dec 07, 2023
Can a group operate without formal rules?
Yes, informal groups often operate without set rules.
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Dec 07, 2023
Must a company operate with formal rules?
Yes, companies must adhere to legal regulations and internal policies.
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Dec 07, 2023
What is an example of a group in society?
A book club or a community volunteer group.
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Dec 07, 2023
How do companies impact individuals?
Companies provide employment, goods, services, and can influence economic conditions.
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Dec 07, 2023
How do groups impact individuals?
They provide a sense of belonging, collaboration, and shared purpose.
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Dec 07, 2023
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About Author
Written by
Shumaila SaeedShumaila Saeed, an expert content creator with 6 years of experience, specializes in distilling complex topics into easily digestible comparisons, shining a light on the nuances that both inform and educate readers with clarity and accuracy.
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