own
adjective
of, relating to, or belonging to oneself or itself (usually used after a possessive to emphasize the idea of ownership, interest, or relation conveyed by the possessive).
had owned
-
past perfectof own.past perfect
Used to express a completed action that took place before another specific past action occurred.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It had owned Spirit’s factories once before, having sold the operations in 2005 as part of a cost-cutting and outsourcing strategy that meant relying more heavily on outside suppliers before final assembly.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026
Erbach spent decades in the Bay Area and had owned a concert staging company in the United States before retiring to an ex-pat community near Guadalajara.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 17, 2026
Valkeith said all four of the St Bernards he had owned enjoyed travelling this way: "They've all gone in the sidecar because I don't like leaving them at home."
From BBC ● May 28, 2026
In Madison, Wisconsin, as a young man, he had owned a used bookstore.
From Slate ● Mar. 25, 2026
His father had owned an Italian restaurant, and his mother died of cancer when he was young.
From "The Darkest Minds" by Alexandra Bracken
