incorporated
UK[ɪnˈkɔːpəreɪtɪd]US[ɪnˈkɔːrpəreɪtɪd]
adj
(of a company or other organization) formed into a legal corporation.
adj
(often as a suffix - Inc.) indicating that a business is a corporation.
Morpheme Breakdown
in
corpor
ated
in
in
corpor
body
ated
made into
Etymology
The word 'incorporated' originates from the Late Latin verb 'incorporare', meaning "to form into a body". This verb itself is a compound of the Latin prefix 'in-' (into) and the noun 'corpus' (body). The core concept is the legal act of bringing individuals or assets together to form a single, unified entity—a corporate body recognized by law. Over time, the past participle 'incorporated' evolved in English to specifically describe this formalized status, transitioning from the literal idea of embodiment to the abstract, legal concept of a corporation.
Analysis
Structure: in (in) + corpor (body) + ated (made into)
- in: Latin prefix meaning "in, into, on".
- corpor: Latin root from 'corpus' meaning "body".
- ated: English suffix forming past participles/adjectives, from Latin '-atus'.
Examples
The business was officially incorporated in 1995.
She works for a large, publicly traded incorporated company.
The name of the firm ends with "Incorporated" or "Inc.".