Unlike a small business, a corporation...
a) is owned by stockholders
b) passes liability for its debts to its stockholders
c) depends upon an owner or owners for its existence
d) is not publicly owned or traded on the stock market
i think it is a.
I agree. Check the last definition for more information.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/corporation
You are correct, a corporation is owned by stockholders. To find the answer to this question, you can refer to reputable sources such as dictionaries or business textbooks.
In this case, you mentioned that you checked the definition on dictionary.reference.com, which is a reliable source. According to that definition, a corporation is a company or group of people authorized to act as a single entity and recognized as such in law. One of the defining characteristics of a corporation is that it is owned by stockholders or shareholders.
By owning shares of stock in a corporation, the stockholders have a claim on the assets and earnings of the company. They also have a say in the company's decision-making through voting rights. Therefore, option "a) is owned by stockholders" is the correct answer.