Who are the owners of a corporation termed as?

In a corporation, the owners are referred to as shareholders. Shareholders hold shares or stocks in the corporation, representing their ownership stake. Their ownership is essentially quantified by the number of shares they possess, and they have the right to vote on key corporate matters, including the election of the board of directors and major corporate policies.

This structure allows shareholders to benefit from the profits of the corporation through dividends and share price appreciation while also limiting their personal liability for the corporation’s debts and obligations to only the amount they have invested in shares. In contrast, terms like partners and members refer to ownership in different types of business structures—partners typically refer to ownership in partnerships and members in limited liability companies (LLCs). Directors, on the other hand, are individuals elected by the shareholders to oversee the company's management and are not necessarily owners themselves.