share
A1Neutral (used across all registers from informal to formal)
Definition
Meaning
To have, use, or experience something jointly with another or others; to divide and distribute something among people.
A part or portion of a larger amount which is divided among or contributed by a number of people; a unit of ownership in a company (stock).
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The word spans concrete division of objects, abstract sharing of ideas/feelings, and financial/economic contexts. The noun sense often implies a portion belonging to or due to someone.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Minimal. In finance, 'shares' (UK) is roughly equivalent to 'stocks' (US), though 'shares' is understood in US finance. Spelling: 'shareholder' is universal.
Connotations
Largely identical. Slight preference in UK for 'share out' as a phrasal verb for distributing.
Frequency
Equally high frequency in both varieties.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
share sth (with sb)share in sthshare sth among/between sbshare (sth) (out)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “a slice/share of the pie”
- “the lion's share”
- “go shares (on sth)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Refers to market percentage ('our market share') or company equity ('buying shares').
Academic
Used for collaborative work, data, or resources ('share findings', 'shared resources').
Everyday
Common for objects, food, tasks, feelings, or experiences ('share a taxi', 'share your thoughts').
Technical
In computing: granting access to files or resources over a network ('share a folder').
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- Could you share the biscuits round?
- They agreed to share the driving on the long journey.
- I don't share your enthusiasm for cricket.
American English
- Can you share the cookies with everyone?
- We'll share the driving on the road trip.
- I don't share your passion for baseball.
adverb
British English
- The costs were shared equally among them.
- The work was shared out fairly.
- Resources are not shared communally.
American English
- The expenses were shared equally between them.
- The tasks were shared fairly.
- The data is not shared publicly.
adjective
British English
- It's a shared kitchen for all the flats.
- They have a shared interest in gardening.
- The shared responsibility model is key.
American English
- It's a shared bathroom in the dorm.
- They have a shared love of hiking.
- The shared accountability framework is important.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- I share my room with my sister.
- Can you share your apple with me?
- We all share the toys.
- They decided to share the cost of the holiday rental.
- Good friends share their problems.
- The company's share price increased.
- The report highlights the need to share intelligence more effectively.
- He is reluctant to share the credit for the project's success.
- They own a significant share of the global market.
- The treaty obliges signatories to share classified environmental data.
- Her philanthropic work stems from a deeply held belief in sharing prosperity.
- The start-up offered equity share options to its early employees.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a SHARP knife cutting a pie into pieces to SHARE fairly.
Conceptual Metaphor
COMMUNITY IS SHARED SPACE / IDEAS ARE COMMODITIES TO BE DISTRIBUTED
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid using 'share' for simply 'telling' information (e.g., 'He shared that he was late' is correct; Russian might overuse 'рассказать' here).
- The noun 'share' as a portion is not always directly equivalent to 'доля' in financial contexts without checking usage.
- Confusion with 'акция' (stock share) vs. general portion.
Common Mistakes
- Incorrect: 'I shared him my book.' Correct: 'I shared my book with him.'
- Incorrect: 'We shared in the costs.' (less common) Correct: 'We shared the costs.'
- Overusing 'share' for physical division when 'split' or 'divide' is more natural.
Practice
Quiz
In a business context, what does 'increasing our market share' primarily mean?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. While it often involves giving a part, it can also mean jointly using or possessing something without diminishing it (e.g., sharing an idea, sharing a characteristic).
'Divide' focuses on the action of separating a whole into parts. 'Share' focuses on the distribution of those parts to people. You divide a cake into slices to share them.
Yes. It has two main countable senses: 1) a portion (e.g., 'your share of the bill'), and 2) a unit of company ownership (e.g., '100 shares in BP').
'Share with' is correct for the recipient (share something with someone). 'Share to' is generally incorrect unless in specific digital contexts (e.g., 'share a post to a social media platform').
Collections
Part of a collection
Media and Communication
B1 · 50 words · Language for discussing media and communication.
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