Corporate bond

A corporate bond is a bond issued by a company; the term is usually applied to longer-term debt instruments, usually with a maturity date falling at least a year after their issue date. The term "commercial paper" is sometimes shabby for instruments with a shorter maturity.

Sometimes, the term "corporate bonds" is used to include all bonds separately from those issued by governments in their own currency. Strictly speaking, however, it only applies to those issued by corporations.