Definition

1. Noun:
   • A person entrusted with holding the stakes or wagers for parties in a bet or wager: This is the original, specific meaning, referring to someone who holds the money or items being bet until the outcome is decided and then delivers them to the winner.
   • A person, group, or organization with an interest or concern in something, especially a business: This is the modern, broader, and most common meaning. A stakeholder has a "stake"—an investment, share, or interest—in the success, policies, or actions of an entity, project, or system.

Usage Examples

• Noun (Original meaning):

  • They appointed a neutral third party as the stakeholder for the high-stakes poker game.
  • The stakeholder held the prize money until the race was over.

• Noun (Modern meaning):

  • The company's key stakeholders include its employees, customers, and investors.
  • Before making the decision, the city council consulted all community stakeholders.

Advanced Usage

• "Stakeholder analysis": A process of identifying and assessing the importance of key people, groups, or institutions that may significantly influence the success of a project or policy.

  • The project manager conducted a stakeholder analysis to map out interests and influence levels.

• "Stakeholder engagement/management": The systematic identification, analysis, planning, and implementation of actions designed to influence stakeholders' engagement and support.

  • Effective stakeholder management is crucial for the smooth rollout of the new public policy.

Variants and Related Words

• Stakeholding (n): The condition of being a stakeholder or the collective body of stakeholders.
  • The concept of corporate social responsibility arises from a recognition of broad stakeholding.

Synonyms

• Original meaning: Holder, depositary, escrow agent.
• Modern meaning: Interested party, concerned party, shareholder (in a specific, financial sense), participant.

Related Phrases

• "Primary stakeholder": A stakeholder who is directly affected by the outcomes of a project or organization (e.g., employees, customers).
• "Secondary stakeholder": A stakeholder who is indirectly affected or can indirectly influence the project (e.g., media, regulatory agencies).

Noun

1. someone entrusted to hold the stakes for two or more persons betting against one another; must deliver the stakes to the winner