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.
McDonald, a minister in the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, said there was "a strong future" for the UK steel industry, but did not give a timetable for resolving British Steel's ownership.
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
Unlike a debt-focused fund, where the upside is capped, a private-equity manager can manufacture home-run performance on paper by marking up ownership stakes in closely held companies or other private-equity funds.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 11, 2026
Tensions over the rising rights fees are growing as the NFL has the right to open up the deal with Paramount, because the company underwent an ownership change last year when acquired by Skydance Media.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026
Thus it was that one man wanted ownership of land and at the same time wanted servitude because someone had to work it.
From "Travels with Charley in Search of America" by John Steinbeck
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.
