key stake

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "key stake" is not correct and does not convey a clear meaning in written English.
It may be intended to refer to an important interest or investment in a situation, but the expression is not standard. Example: "The company has a key stake in the development of renewable energy technologies."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

18 human-written examples

Personally I wouldn't want anyone with a key stake in any company espousing such views.

The Guardian - Opinion

Royal Dutch Shell yesterday took a key stake in one of Iraq's leading oilfields as the latest round of a national auction gave foreign companies access to more than a third of the country's oil.

The Guardian - Business

But by making teenagers feel welcome there and giving my generation a key stake in its future I have every confidence we'll emerge from the downturn a far stronger, more confident town.

The Guardian

Shell reaffirmed its position as a leading player in post-war Iraq by taking a key stake in the vast Majnoon field, east of Basra, which is thought to hold about 10% of the country's estimated reserves of 115bn barrels.

The Guardian - Business

Royal Bank of Scotland emerged yesterday as a possible bidder for a key stake in Bank of China, the country's second largest bank, in the face of stiff rivalry from a list of suitors that includes some of the west's leading organisations in the sector.

The Guardian - Business

Defendants in the other 12 trials, which took place between 1946 1949, included doctors, jurists, industrialists, and other key stake holders in the Nazi state.

SEP

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

42 human-written examples

The state is particularly strong in the defence and aerospace industry, holding key stakes in EADS, Safran/Snecma (an odd jet-engine/computing hybrid) and Thales, a defence-electronics firm.Even below the radar of the APE, state-owned banks and firms have small stakes in other companies.

The Economist

Toyota, the industry's profitability champion, has only four brands and a handful of models, but a huge range of variants on them.The industry has experienced a 20-year splurge that has seen, for instance, GM swallow Saab and Daewoo, while signing up Isuzu, Subaru and Suzuki in Japan, taking key stakes in them in order to share their small-car expertise and gain access to the Asian market.

The Economist

Cyber-security should become a key stake-holder policy and should therefore be called UAE smart defense policy, if considered national, more than the city borders.

Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship

By combining the two companies, Lee Jae-yong would own key stakes in Samsung Electronics through the newly combined entity's partial ownership of Samsung Life Insurance, and thus in Samsung Electronics.

TechCrunch

The development process involving the key stake-holders of staff and service users ensured adequate face validity and content validity.

BMC Health Services Research

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When referring to an important investment or ownership in a company, use "significant interest" or "major investment" for greater clarity. For example: "The company acquired a significant interest in the renewable energy sector."

Common error

Avoid confusing "stake" with "stakeholder". "Stakeholder" refers to someone with an interest in a business or project, while "stake" refers to ownership or investment. Using them interchangeably can lead to confusion.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "key stake" attempts to function as a noun phrase, aiming to describe a significant interest or investment. As Ludwig AI points out, the expression is not standard. The intended function is to denote an important position or share in a company or project.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

64%

Science

28%

Formal & Business

8%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

While the phrase "key stake" is used to indicate a significant interest or investment, Ludwig AI identifies it as not entirely correct. It's common but considered grammatically questionable. For formal writing, it's better to use "significant interest", "major investment", or "pivotal stake" for greater clarity and precision. This ensures professional communication. In some contexts, "key stakeholder" is used when referring to important parties involved in the context.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

pivotal stake

Emphasizes the critical importance or turning-point nature of the stake.

significant interest

Highlights the importance of involvement, moving away from the investment metaphor.

substantial share

Focuses on the magnitude and influence of the ownership percentage.

major investment

Highlights the scale and importance of the financial contribution.

controlling interest

Stresses the power to influence decisions due to the size of the stake.

primary holding

Highlights the fact that the "stake" is the principal asset owned by someone.

chief participation

Highlights that the "stake" is the most important participation.

leading position

Indicates a role that is in the lead compared to competitors.

top share

Indicates a share at the top of a ranked set.

principal involvement

Underlines a primary active role instead of ownership or financial investment.

FAQs

What does "key stake" mean?

While not grammatically ideal, "key stake" usually attempts to denote a significant or controlling share in a company or project. Consider using "significant interest" or "major investment" instead.

What can I say instead of "key stake"?

You can use alternatives like "pivotal stake", "significant interest", or "major investment" depending on the specific context.

Is it correct to say "key stake holder" or "key stakeholder"?

While "key stake holder" appears in some sources, "key stakeholder" is the more widely accepted and grammatically correct term to refer to an important party involved or affected.

What is the difference between a "key stake" and a "controlling interest"?

While both imply a significant position, "controlling interest" specifically refers to a level of ownership that allows the holder to dictate the company's management and policies, unlike a simple "significant interest" or "major investment".