extraordinary general meeting
C1/C2Formal, Business, Legal
Definition
Meaning
A special meeting of a company's shareholders or an organization's members, convened to address urgent or specific matters that cannot wait for the next scheduled general meeting.
A formal corporate or organizational assembly, outside the normal annual cycle, summoned to deliberate on and make decisions regarding pressing issues such as mergers, takeovers, major financial restructuring, leadership crises, or significant policy changes.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The phrase functions as a compound noun. 'Extraordinary' here means 'outside the ordinary cycle' or 'special', not 'remarkable'. It contrasts with the 'Annual General Meeting' (AGM). Often abbreviated as 'EGM' in corporate communications.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The term is identical in form and usage between British and American English. The concept and legal frameworks surrounding it are similar in both corporate law traditions.
Connotations
In both varieties, it carries connotations of urgency, importance, and formal procedure. It may imply corporate instability, major strategic shifts, or significant shareholder activism.
Frequency
Equally common and standard in both UK and US corporate, legal, and financial contexts.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
The board [convened] an extraordinary general meeting.Shareholders [voted] at the extraordinary general meeting.The agenda [for] the extraordinary general meeting was circulated.Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[To call] an EGM”
- “[To be on the agenda for] the EGM”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
The standard term for a non-routine shareholder meeting in corporate governance.
Academic
Used in business studies, corporate law, and governance research papers.
Everyday
Rarely used outside of formal business or organizational news reports.
Technical
Precisely defined in companies acts and corporate bylaws, with specific legal requirements for notice, quorum, and resolutions.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The directors are obliged to convene an extraordinary general meeting if requested by the shareholders.
- They voted to requisition an extraordinary general meeting.
American English
- The board decided to call an extraordinary general meeting to approve the merger.
- Activists are seeking to force an extraordinary general meeting.
adverb
British English
- The matter was dealt with extraordinarily swiftly via a general meeting. (Note: 'extraordinarily' modifies 'swiftly', not part of the fixed phrase)
- The shareholders met extraordinarily to resolve the crisis. (archaic/formal use)
American English
- The board acted extraordinarily by calling a general meeting on such short notice. (same note as British)
- They convened the session extraordinarily to address the takeover bid. (archaic/formal use)
adjective
British English
- The extraordinary general meeting agenda was contentious.
- They received the extraordinary general meeting notice by post.
American English
- The extraordinary general meeting proceedings were heated.
- All extraordinary general meeting materials are available online.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The company will have an extraordinary general meeting next month.
- Important decisions are made at an extraordinary general meeting.
- Shareholders forced an extraordinary general meeting to vote on the proposed sale of assets.
- The agenda for the extraordinary general meeting includes the election of new directors.
- Pursuant to Article 12 of the Articles of Association, an extraordinary general meeting was convened to approve the capital increase.
- The activist investor group succeeded in requisitioning an extraordinary general meeting to table a motion of no confidence in the chairman.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: EXTRA (outside) + ORDINARY (the usual) + MEETING = a meeting outside the usual schedule.
Conceptual Metaphor
CORPORATE DECISIONS ARE FORMAL EVENTS / URGENCY IS A SUMMONS.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid translating 'extraordinary' as 'экстраординарный' in the sense of 'amazing'. Here it means 'внеочередной'. The correct translation is 'внеочередное общее собрание' (акционеров/участников).
Common Mistakes
- Using 'extraordinary' to imply the meeting itself is remarkable rather than specially convened. Confusing it with an 'Annual General Meeting'.
Practice
Quiz
What is the primary purpose of an 'extraordinary general meeting' (EGM)?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
An Annual General Meeting (AGM) is a mandatory, regular meeting held once a year. An Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) is a special meeting called to deal with specific, urgent issues that arise between AGMs.
Typically, the board of directors can call an EGM. In most jurisdictions, a certain percentage of shareholders (e.g., 10%) also have the legal right to requisition one.
Yes, the abbreviation 'EGM' is standard in both varieties of English in corporate and financial contexts.
Yes, 'special general meeting' is a common synonym, though 'extraordinary general meeting' (or EGM) is the most formal and widely recognized legal term.