dividend
dividend — noun
1. A regular payment that a corporation makes to its stockholders from the earnings
A regular payment that a corporation makes to its stockholders from the earnings it has produced.
The board of directors announced a higher dividend for the third quarter this year.
announce a dividend — telling shareholders the upcoming payment
Tunde reinvested his dividends to buy more shares in the company.
reinvest dividends — using the payment to buy more shares
A steady dividend has been paid every year for the past twenty years.
Shareholders voted to receive the dividend in cash rather than additional stock.
- payout
Broader term — any distribution of money, not necessarily from company profits to shareholders.
- return
More general — includes both dividend income and increase in share value (capital gain).
- profit share
Used more for partnerships or employee bonus schemes rather than public companies.
文法句型
declare a dividend
pay a dividend
dividend of [amount]
用法筆記
Often used in the plural (dividends) when the company makes multiple payments or the shareholder collects from several holdings. Common verb partners are pay, declare, receive, cut, and boost.
常見錯誤
2. In arithmetic, the number that is being split into equal parts by another number
In arithmetic, the number that is being split into equal parts by another number; the number written above the line in a fraction.
In 15 divided by 3, the dividend is 15 and the divisor is 3.
dividend ÷ divisor = quotient — the basic terms of division
The teacher asked Mizuki to identify the dividend and the divisor in the equation.
identify the dividend — finding which number is being divided
When you write a division problem as a fraction, the dividend becomes the top number.
Diya checked her work by making sure the divisor times the quotient matched the dividend.
- divisor
The number that divides another; the bottom number in a fraction.
文法句型
dividend ÷ divisor = quotient
dividend of [number]
用法筆記
A mathematical term mainly used in primary and secondary school arithmetic. In real-world contexts, the word dividend is less common than divisor or quotient outside the classroom.
常見錯誤
3. An additional and often unexpected good result that comes from doing something,
An additional and often unexpected good result that comes from doing something, beyond the main reason for doing it.
Learning a second language has the added dividend of improving your memory.
added dividend of + [gerund] — an extra benefit pattern
The friendship Camille formed at work was an unexpected dividend of the internship.
unexpected dividend of [something]
Spending time in nature pays a dividend of better mental health.
Jude found that volunteering brought a personal dividend he had not expected.
- bonus
More general — can be planned or expected, whereas dividend suggests an unforeseen extra outcome.
- perk
Informal — usually refers to a regular benefit tied to a job or membership, not a one-time extra.
- added benefit
More neutral and descriptive; dividend has a slightly more positive, surprising tone.
文法句型
dividend of [something]
pay dividends
added dividend of [noun/gerund]
用法筆記
The fixed phrase pay dividends means that an investment of time, effort, or money continues to produce good results over a long period. This sense is common in personal development, business writing, and lifestyle advice.
常見錯誤
4. A portion of a total sum of money that is shared out among a group of people who
A portion of a total sum of money that is shared out among a group of people who all have a claim to it, such as members of a co-operative or holders of an insurance policy.
The cooperative members received their annual dividend from the store's profits.
annual dividend from [source of profits]
Each policyholder was entitled to a dividend from the insurance fund.
After the lottery win, the group agreed on how to split the dividend among themselves.
The members of the farm collective reinvested their dividend in new equipment.
- share
General term for a portion of anything; dividend is more specific to a formal distribution from a collective fund.
- allocation
More formal and neutral; dividend carries the idea of a surplus or profit being shared out.
- payout
Broader — covers any money distributed; dividend suggests a planned share-out to entitled members.
文法句型
dividend from [fund]
annual dividend
receive a dividend
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1: sense 4 applies to any shared fund or pool (e.g. insurance, cooperatives, lottery pools) and does not involve stock shares or corporate profits.