Finance, finally in plain English.
The Semino Dictionary exists to do one thing well: take intimidating financial terms and explain them simply — with analogies, real-world examples, and zero jargon.
"An acquisition is a corporate action in which a company buys most, if not all, of another firm's ownership stakes to assume control of it."
"When a big company wants what a smaller one has—its technology, its product, its audience—it often decides buying is faster than competing. It purchases a majority of the target's shares and takes over its assets, patents, and direction."
Anatomy of a Definition
A plain-English explanation is just the start. We use modular building blocks to make every concept click instantly.
Acquisition
When one company buys majority control (over 50%) of another company, taking total ownership of its assets and future.
The Price Jump: The moment an acquisition is publicly announced, the stock price of the target company almost instantly shoots up to match the buyout price.
The Fully Furnished House: Instead of spending years building a house from scratch, you just write a massive check to buy a fully furnished house that already has paying tenants inside.
Facebook Acquires Instagram: In 2012, instead of spending years building a better mobile photo app to compete, Mark Zuckerberg simply wrote a check for $1 billion and acquired the entire company.
If the smaller company refuses to be bought, the big company can bypass management and go directly to the everyday shareholders, forcefully taking control if enough shareholders accept the cash.
The Editorial Journey
Simple does not mean unverified. Every single entry goes through a rigorous four-step refinement process before it reaches you.
1. Foundational research
We start at the source—regulatory material (like SEC filings) and standard corporate-finance literature. Never by rephrasing a random blog.
2. Translate to plain English
We strip out the jargon and rebuild the idea from scratch, adding an analogy or a real-world example whenever it makes the concept click faster.
3. The clarity audit
We read it back as a complete beginner. If anything still feels like homework, or quietly assumes you already know another term, it goes back for a rewrite.
4. Show our sources
Every definition ends with a Sources list. If you ever doubt a fact—or simply want to go deeper—the primary references are right there for you.
Want the full rulebook?
Our complete methodology for research, fact-checking, and corrections lives in our editorial standards.
Read the standardsReady to decode the markets?
200+ financial terms, simplified and waiting. Look up the first word you never quite understood.
Start exploringFrequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about the Semino Dictionary.