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The region [verb] the largest lithium producer in the country.

What verb could I use? I know 'boast' but I need something neutral. Yes, I know I can simply use 'have' but no, I want something better, 'have' is too basic. 'Own' and 'possess' refer to the proprietary relationship between a person/organization and some asset. The plant implied in the question, on the other hand, could be owned by a foreign company. As I said in the title, I want a word to replace clumsy "has on its land".

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  • I've reopened this question, although I believe the best answers will suggest rephrasing slightly rather than simply giving you a verb to put in that blank space.
    – user230
    Commented Jan 1, 2020 at 12:13
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    Sergey - Whichever verb you end up choosing, it needs to be singular to match the singular noun "region" - e.g. "... region has" or "... region boasts".
    – TechnoCat
    Commented Jan 31, 2020 at 11:46
  • @TechnoCat Of course, I know that
    – Sergey Zolotarev
    Commented Jan 31, 2020 at 22:24

5 Answers 5

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As an English professor, I can think of no better option than the term "hosts" suggested by @Technocat. That is the perfect word, for reasons set out in Technocat's answer and in his/her subsequent comments.

You are certainly NOT correct in your belief that the dictionary definition precludes the term "hosts" being only for events; you are misunderstanding what the dictionary says. You need only refer to the examples provided by Technocat to prove that the term is not only correct but in widespread usage.

The term "is home to" - suggested by Swaggy P - is a great option in some cases, but may or may not be appropriate, depending on the facts of the case.

Normally the term "home" is used to refer only to a company's headquarters, which are also often called the company's "home base".

For instance,

"Cupertino, California, is home to Apple Inc ..."

is well understood to imply that this is the global headquarters.

Using the specific example you gave, both of the following are technically correct, but they have different meanings.

"The region hosts the country's largest lithium producer."

This means only that the region's largest lithium producer has a presence in that region. It does not preclude the possibility that the producer has a headquarters somewhere else.

"The region is home to the country's largest lithium producer."

This variant has a very specific meaning: that the producer's home base is in that region.

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  • "you are misunderstanding what the dictionary says" Please, elaborate
    – Sergey Zolotarev
    Commented Feb 1, 2020 at 7:24
  • By 'producer' I meant a physical plant/mill, not a legal entity
    – Sergey Zolotarev
    Commented Feb 1, 2020 at 7:27
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    @SergeyZolotarev - If you re-read the responses from Technocat, the answers are all there. Also, try doing the Google search suggested: there are literally thousands of examples of what you consider to be invalid. Those examples are in publications from top publishing firms and are easy to follow.
    – EWalker
    Commented Feb 1, 2020 at 7:28
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    @SergeyZolotarev - It doesn't matter whether the object is a "physical plant/mill" or a company, a factory, a species of plant, a group of people, a national park, ..... the term "hosts" is appropriate in all of them. I can only suggest again that you learn from actual English usage - in other words, do as Technocat suggests. Enter "The region hosts" into a Google search, and study the thousands of examples provided there from actual websites and publications.
    – EWalker
    Commented Feb 1, 2020 at 7:33
  • What did you mean by me "misunderstanding what the dictionary says"?
    – Sergey Zolotarev
    Commented Feb 1, 2020 at 10:32
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May I suggest is home to:

The region is home to the largest lithium producer in the country.

I find it more neutral than 'boast' and it doesn't imply ownership as strongly as 'possess' or 'own' do.

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I would opt for "hosts" if you wish to use just a single verb and also want the sentence to sound eloquent and professional.

"The region hosts the largest lithium producer in the country."

The benefit of "hosts" is that it makes no assumptions about the nature of the ownership - i.e. it does not contain the proprietary implications of "own" or "possess".

If you were willing to make the sentence longer, another option would be the following.

"The region's rich economic resources include the largest lithium producer in the country.".

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    @SergeyZolotarev - Your dictionary link does support it. Have a look at the section starting "TRANSITIVE VERB" and select "More examples". There you will see, for instance, "‘All but one of the 25 largest cities in the U.S., and two-thirds of the next 25, host these projects.’ or '‘The city also plans to host four free or low-cost spay-and-neuter clinics throughout the year, Fusco said.’"
    – TechnoCat
    Commented Jan 31, 2020 at 23:27
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    Further, as someone who has authored hundreds (or more) of business and scholarly reports and publications, I can assure you that the word suits the sentence very well. It's the sort of term an educated native speaker would use.
    – TechnoCat
    Commented Jan 31, 2020 at 23:32
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    Finally, I also support (and upvoted) the answer by @swaggy_p. His suggestion to use "is home to" is a very good.
    – TechnoCat
    Commented Jan 31, 2020 at 23:34
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    Example 1: "The region hosts WarrnamboolCheese & Butter, the oldest dairy company in Australia, along with Bulla Family Dairy, Fonterra and .... Source: invest.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0018/325611/…
    – TechnoCat
    Commented Feb 1, 2020 at 2:15
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    Example 2: "Besides these two medium-sized firms, the Swedish part of the region hosts about 35 other DBFs of varying size and age. A large share of the companies ..." . Source: Business Networks in Clusters and Industrial Districts, avail at books.google.com.au/books?id=Ug1pfIVU8yEC&pg.
    – TechnoCat
    Commented Feb 1, 2020 at 2:18
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Maybe to possess would be an option, however I think to hold seems me an either natural and elegant alternative.

Thus, [The region] holds the largest lithium producer in the country could be your sentence.

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X is (located) / can be found in the region should work, although it depends a bit on the surrounding text.

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