call one's own

Idioms  

1. Claim or regard something as one's possession or under one's control, as in Victorian wives had almost nothing to call their own. This expression, dating from about 1600, today is often used in a negative context, as in the example. It also appears in can't call one's time one's own, which dates from the 18th century and means one spends much of one's time in someone else's service, as in The hours in this job are terrible; I can't call my time my own.

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Example Sentences

What’s the value of having a home to call one’s own?

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 21, 2024

"It's hard to call one's own name," he continued.

From Quaint Courtships by Howells, William Dean

One feels a little lost even for one night without a rag one can call one's own except a Pullman towel.

From The Mystery of Mary by Hill, Grace Livingston