The term "stakeholders" refers to individuals or groups that have an interest or concern in a particular project, company, or situation. These can include employees, customers, investors, suppliers, government agencies, and even the community at large. Stakeholders can affect or be affected by the actions, objectives, and policies of an organization or project.
The word "stakeholder" originated in the early 1960s, combining "stake," which means a financial or personal interest, with "holder," referring to someone who has something. It was initially used in business contexts to describe those holding a financial stake in a company.