Citigroup

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A large American financial services company that offers banking, investment, and credit products to customers around the world
2. A multinational American bank holding company providing consumer banking, lending, and wealth management services across many countries
3. The well-known New York based financial conglomerate that operates retail banks, credit card businesses, and global investment services

Etymology: Citigroup is a proper noun, the name of a large American financial company. Its banking side traces back to a New York institution called City Bank, and the "Citi" in the name is simply a shortened form of "City." That bank's name became a familiar brand long before the corporate parent existed. The "group" part reflects how the company was assembled. Citigroup was formed by joining a banking business with insurance and brokerage businesses under a single holding company. "Group" was the common corporate label for such a parent, so the name combines the old bank's nickname with the generic term for a collection of companies.