own

[ ohn ]

/ oʊn /

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See synonyms for: own / owned / owner / ownest on Thesaurus.com

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): He spent only his own money.

(used as an intensifier to indicate oneself as the sole agent of some activity or action, preceded by a possessive): He insists on being his own doctor.

verb (used with object)

to have or hold as one's own; possess: They own several homes.

to acknowledge or admit: to own a fault.

to acknowledge as one's own; recognize as having full claim, authority, power, dominion, etc.: He owned his child before the entire assembly. They owned the king as their lord.

to totally defeat, gain control over, or dominate in a competition: I totally owned the last two levels of the game.He owned the season from beginning to end and took the world title.

to take over a (a computer system, program, or computer) without authorization: The network has been owned by a hacker.

verb (used without object)

to confess (often followed by to, up, or up to): The one who did it had better own up. I own to being uncertain about that.

OPPOSITES FOR own

3 lack, need.

See antonyms for own on Thesaurus.com

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Idioms about own

come into one's own,

to take possession of that which is due or owed one.
to receive the recognition that one's abilities merit: She finally came into her own as a sculptor of the first magnitude.

get one's own back, to get revenge and thereby a sense of personal satisfaction, as for a slight or a previous setback; get even with somebody or something: He saw the award as a way of getting his own back for all the snubs by his colleagues.

hold one's own,

to maintain one's position or condition: The stock market seems to be holding its own these days.
to be equal to the opposition: He can hold his own in any fight.

of one's own, belonging to oneself: She had never had a room of her own.

on one's own,

by dint of one's own efforts, resources, or sense of responsibility; independently: Because she spoke the language, she got around the country very well on her own.
living or functioning without dependence on others; independent: My son's been on his own for several years.

Origin of own

First recorded before 900; (adjective) Middle English owen,Old English āgen (cognate with German eigen,Old Norse eigenn), originally the past participle of āgan “to possess” (see owe); (verb) Middle English ownen,Old English āgnian, āhnian, derivative of āgen

synonym study for own

3. See have.

OTHER WORDS FROM own

non·own·ing, adjectiveun·owned, adjective

Words nearby own

owlet nightjar, owlish, owl monkey, owl's claws, owl's clover, own, own brand, owner, owner-occupied, owner-occupier, owner-operator

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use own in a sentence

Yet American minimalism, isolationism, realism, mind-our-own-business-ism—whatever you want to call it—is cyclical.
Rand Paul vs. the Real World|James Kirchick|September 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
This process continues today, when only a handful of vineyards with ungrafted, or “own-rooted,” vines still exist.
Germany’s Wine Revolution Is Just Getting Started|Jordan Salcito|April 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Just church, public festivals, and the occasional make-your-own-music night at home?
Don't Have Enough to Worry About? Here's One More Thing: Low Growth May be Here to Stay.|Megan McArdle|March 4, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Their three children, Vittorio, Luca, and Angela (its current designer) took over the brand in the 1990s and currently co-own it.
Vittorio Missoni’s Plane Missing Off Coast of Venezuela|Mac Margolis|January 5, 2013|DAILY BEAST

The corner rent-to-own store also carries laptops and PCs, along with flat-screen TVs, washers-driers, and furniture of all kind.
America's Poverty Tax|Gary Rivlin|September 8, 2011|DAILY BEAST
“Follows-his-own-fancy,” she repeated, as one repeats a strange phrase, the meaning of which is obscure.
Unveiling a Parallel|Alice Ilgenfritz Jones and Ella Marchant
Opposite is a little, hold-your-own school-mistressy young person in pince-nez.
Sea and Sardinia|D. H. Lawrence
No wonder her father had hidden that photograph, so secretly behind her own-ashamed of having kept it!
The Forsyte Saga, Volume III.|John Galsworthy
"It's g-g-g-gone d-d-d-own the bab-b-b-back of my n-n-n-neck," sputtered Ding-dong Bell protestingly.
The Motor Rangers Through the Sierras|Marvin West
Couldn't a-be'n 'at she'd a-wundered off her-own-se'f; and it couldn't a-be'n 'at Steve'd take her, 'thout a-lettin' us know it.
Neghborly Poems and Dialect Sketches|James Whitcomb Riley

British Dictionary definitions for own

own

/ (əʊn) /

determiner (preceded by a possessive)

(intensifier)John's own idea; your own mother
(as pronoun)I'll use my own

on behalf of oneself or in relation to oneselfhe is his own worst enemy

come into one's own

to become fulfilledshe really came into her own when she got divorced
to receive what is due to one

get one's own back informal to have revenge

hold one's own to maintain one's situation or position, esp in spite of opposition or difficulty

on one's own

without help
by oneself; alone

verb

(tr) to have as one's possession

(when intr, often foll by up, to, or up to) to confess or admit; acknowledge

(tr; takes a clause as object) rare to concedeI own that you are right

Word Origin for own

Old English āgen, originally past participle of āgan to have; related to Old Saxon ēgan, Old Norse eiginn. See owe

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with own

own

In addition to the idioms beginning with own

own medicine
own person, be one's
own up

also see:

afraid of one's own shadow
after one's own heart
beat someone at his or her own game
blow one's own horn
call one's own
close to home
come into (one's own)
dig one's own grave
do one's (own) thing
dose of one's own medicine
get (one's own) back
get one's (own) way
go one's (own) way
hold one's own
in one's (own) interest
in one's own backyard
in one's own right
in one's own world
keep one's own counsel
know one's own mind
leave to someone's own devices
mind of one's own
mind one's own business
of one's own accord
on one's (own) feet
on one's own
on one's own account
on one's own time
paddle one's own canoe
pay back in one's own coin
pay one's (own) way
pick on (someone your own size)
pull one's (own) weight
sign one's own death warrant
stew in one's own juice
take into one's (own) hands
under one's own steam
write one's own ticket