verb / adjective / pronoun

own

OHN/oʊn/

To have something as one's possession.

The person owns the bicycle and brings it into the garage.

A person stands beside a bicycle with a matching key in hand and stores it inside their garage as their property.

Etymology

Old English geagnian meant to possess. Its root also gave English owe, which shifted from having something to being indebted, while own retained the property-holding sense.

In context

TED speaker5:17

they can't own property.

How to Defend Democracy — and Fight Autocracy | Leopoldo Lopez | TED

TED speaker9:01

I now own mace, a security system…

3 ways to practice civility | Steven Petrow

More examples

She bought the truck with her own money.
I rent an apartment, but someday I want my own.
They have owned this bakery for twenty years.

Forms

own · owns · owned · owning

owner noun — A person or organization that possesses something.

ownership noun — The state of possessing something as property.

Similar words

have: Broader; can describe temporary possession without actual ownership.
possess: More formal; can emphasize physical control rather than legal ownership.