ownership
Americannoun
-
the state or fact of being an owner
-
legal right of possession; proprietorship
Other Word Forms
- interownership noun
- self-ownership noun
Etymology
Origin of ownership
Explanation
Ownership is the state of owning something. Anything that people own or possess gives them the quality of ownership. Wars are often fought over the ownership of land. When you buy a book, you own it. Add the suffix ship to owner, and now you have ownership of that lovely book. If you buy a house, you have ownership of it. Politicians like to talk about the “American dream of home ownership.” If you buy a lottery ticket, you have ownership of that, too. If you win big, you’ll have ownership of lots of cash and then you, too can realize that American dream.
Vocabulary lists containing ownership
Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Suffixes: -ship
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"CLEP Financial Accounting," Vocabulary from Chapter 19
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-ship
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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.
Dakin, the Scunthorpe MP, said he had hoped the ownership issue would be settled by the anniversary of the government's intervention, but accepted this was now unlikely.
From BBC • Apr. 12, 2026
Matt Rascon, a spokesperson for Colony Ridge, said the company “found success offering a path to land ownership through flexible financing options with no credit checks.”
From Salon • Apr. 12, 2026
Being part of NBCUniversal has brought other benefits, too, particularly as Telemundo’s main competitor, Univision, has struggled under a succession of ownership groups.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 11, 2026
Such a deal might satisfy Trump’s desire for improved security but falls short of his goal of ownership.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 11, 2026
When you think about it, there is no common thread of ownership, or any other meaning, across the phrases Sophocles’ play, Sophocles’ nose, Sophocles’ toga, Sophocles’mother, Sophocles’ hometown, Sophocles’ era, and Sophocles’ death.
From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
