ownership
Americannoun
-
the state or fact of being an owner
-
legal right of possession; proprietorship
Other Word Forms
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.
Unless the document clearly authorizes it, you should be very, very cautious about changing ownership arrangements or beneficiary designations.
From MarketWatch • May 27, 2026
He said his mother sued him this year in a land ownership dispute under Thailand's "ungrateful child" law, which allows parents to reclaim assets previously given to children deemed unappreciative through their behaviour.
From Barron's • May 25, 2026
Maritime analysts say sanctions have changed the way some vessels operate, with ships increasingly relying on opaque ownership structures, changing flags and insurers, and complex management networks in order to continue trading.
From BBC • May 23, 2026
In 2021, just six years after they made their first Shibumi by hand, they accepted an offer from Stripes, a New York-based investment fund, for majority ownership.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 23, 2026
Here’s how to use an apostrophe with . . . • possessives.To indicate ownership, add r to a singular noun or to a plural noun that does not end in s.
From "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner
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.
