articles of incorporation

noun [plural] (also certificate of incorporation) LAW

Definition

› in the US and Canada, a document that must be given to a state before a company can be legally created. It usually includes the name and address of the company, its purpose, and the number and type of shares that it will issue: Minority shareholders are allowed to call special meetings under the company's articles of incorporation.

→ Compare articles of association, memorandum of association

(Definition of articles of incorporation noun from the Cambridge Business English Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)