stora

Stora is a term used in Nordic languages with several related meanings and uses. In Swedish, "stora" is the positive form of the adjective stor, meaning large or great. It is used in everyday language as well as in toponymy, often to distinguish a larger settlement from a nearby smaller one. In place names, Stora appears as a standalone locality in various Swedish municipalities and, less commonly, in Finland. The term is also found as a component of longer place names, sometimes indicating that a locality was historically viewed as the larger counterpart of another nearby settlement.

Historically, "Stora" has appeared in corporate names. AB Stora was a major Swedish forest products and paper company, with a long-standing presence in Scandinavian industry. In 1998, Stora AB merged with the Finnish company Enso to form Stora Enso, a multinational packaging and forest products company. The name Stora Enso has since been used for the merged entity, though branding and corporate structure have continued to evolve.

Etymologically, "stora" is closely related to the root stor, meaning large or significant, and it is used across the Scandinavian region to convey size or importance. Because of its usage in language, geography, and commerce, the term appears in various, sometimes unrelated, contexts rather than representing a single, unified entity.