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own definition

own (ōn)

adjective

  1. belonging, relating, or peculiar to oneself or itself: used to strengthen a preceding possessive his own book, her own idea
  2. Now Rare related by blood rather than by marriage

Etymology: ME owen < OE agen, pp. of agan, to possess: see owe

noun, pronoun

that which belongs to oneself the car is his own; I have reasons of my own

transitive verb

  1. to possess; hold as personal property; have
  2. to admit; recognize; acknowledge

intransitive verb

to confess (to)

Related Forms:

own Idioms

come into one's own

to receive what properly belongs to one, esp. acclaim or recognition

get one's own back

Chiefly Brit., Informal to get or take revenge; get even

of one's own

belonging strictly to oneself

on one's own

Informal
  1. by one's own efforts or on one's own initiative
  2. independent of help from others

own up (to)

to confess (to)

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Alternate definitions:

idioms own idiom

own Synonyms

own

modif.

mine, yours, his, hers, its, theirs, personal, individual, owned, very own*; see also private.

come into one's own

receive what one deserves, gain proper credit, gain proper recognition, thrive; see prosper.

of one's own

personal, private, belonging to one; see owned.

on one's own

by oneself, acted independently, singly; see independently.


own

v.

  1. To possess

    hold, have, enjoy, have inherited, fallen heir to, have title to, have rights to, be master of, occupy, control, dominate, have claim upon, boast, reserve, retain, keep, have in hand, have a deed for; see also maintain 3.

    Antonyms lack*, want*, need. *

  2. To acknowledge

    admit, assent to, grant, recognize; see admit 2, 3, declare 2. See syn. study at admit.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

own Usage Examples

Object

  • subsidiary: In October 2002, the company became a wholly owned subsidiary of Boeing.

Modifying Another Word

  • privately: In 1988, the privately owned Dutch company, SHV, became a significant shareholder, acquiring 40 % of Calor's equity.

Subject

  • photographer: The copyright of all photography is owned by the photographer.

Modifies a noun

  • right: Everyone is a work of natural art in its own right.

Preposition: by

  • photographer: The copyright of all photography is owned by the photographer.
own usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

own quotes

   Farewell, too little, and too lately known, Whom I began to think and call my own.

-Dryden,John

And what you do not know is the only thing you know And what you own is what you do not own And where you are is where you are not.

-Eliot,T(homas) S(tearns)

Women are like elephants to me. I like to look at them, but I wouldn't want to own one.

-Fields,W C originally  William Claude Dukenfield

own quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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MLA Style

"own." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 5 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/own>

APA Style

own. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 5th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/own

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