Inc. is the short written form of Incorporated. In American company names it sits after the name: General Motors Inc. It tells you the business is a legal company, separate from the people who own it — so the company, not the owner, can own property or be taken to court. In Britain you are more likely to see Ltd or plc with the same job. You almost never say Inc. out loud as a normal sentence; you read it on signs, contracts, and news. Though actually, inc. with a small i can also mean including in notes and lists — that is a different abbreviation. This entry is only the company one. It is not the word ink.