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own

/oʊn/
/əʊn/
IPA guide

Other forms: owned; owns; owning

If you own something, it belongs to you. You can use the verb own to describe possession of any kind of property, ranging from a saucepan to a fancy mansion.

If something can be bought, it can be owned. You wouldn’t say that you own people or intangible objects. But you might own a car, for example, and if you’re lucky, you might own a lot of really cool shoes. Own can also be an adjective describing something that belongs to a particular person, like your own bedroom, or your own mind. If you admit to something, you "own up to it," admitting the responsibility belongs to you.

Definitions of own
  1. adjective
    belonging to or on behalf of a specified person (especially yourself); preceded by a possessive
    “for your own use”
    “do your own thing”
    “she makes her own clothes”
    synonyms: ain
    personal
    concerning or affecting a particular person or his or her private life and personality
  2. verb
    have ownership or possession of
    “He owns three houses in Florida”
    synonyms: have, possess
    feature, have
    have as a feature
    see moresee less
    types:
    prepossess
    possess beforehand
Pronunciation
US
/oʊn/
UK
/əʊn/
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