noun

IPO

noun

Short for initial public offering — the first time a company sells shares to the general public on a stock exchange.

"The startup's IPO raised over two billion dollars."

"Employees held stock options that only paid off after the IPO."

How to Use IPO

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishThe moment a private company "goes public" and starts trading shares anyone can buy.

Common mistake

IPO is normally a noun ("the IPO"), though it's sometimes used loosely as a verb ("the company IPO'd in 2021").

Common pairings

launch an IPO IPO price go public with an IPO

IPOed past tense, IPO'ed past tense, IPO-ed past tense, IPOs singular

Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.

Test yourself on “IPO” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage →

Can you complete this real example?

The startup's _____ raised over two billion dollars.