Own

/ɑːn/ adj, noun, verb, slang

adj, noun, verb, slang ·Common ·Middle school level

Meaning at a glance

  • Primary sense: A crushing insult.
  • Grammar: own is listed as adj, noun, verb, slang.
  • Nearest alternatives: have, possess, accept, accept responsibility.
  • Useful contrasts: chartered company rule, hackneyed, be owned by.
  • Usage evidence: Mathematicians are like French people: whatever you tell them they translate it into their own language and turn it into something totally different.

How to use "own"

  1. Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
  2. Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "own" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
  3. Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.

Meaning check

  • Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
  • Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
  • Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
  • Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?

Source and review context

This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "own" in a final draft.

If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.

Before you rely on this definition

Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "own" as the right word for your sentence.

If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "own" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.

Compare nearby meanings

  • Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
  • Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
  • Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
  • Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.

Definition decision workflow

1. Identify the role

Check whether "own" is acting as adj, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.

2. Test the nearest option

Compare it with "have" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.

3. Confirm with context

Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.

Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.

Final meaning check

Before publishing a sentence with "own", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.

When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A crushing insult. Internet

    "the amount of bigots that just screenshot my profile thinking it's the biggest own is insane."

Verb
  1. 1
    To have rightful possession of (property, goods or capital); to have legal title to; to acquire a property or asset. transitive

    "I own this car."

  2. 2
    have ownership or possession of wordnet
  3. 3
    To have recognized political sovereignty over a place, territory, as distinct from the ordinary connotation of property ownership. transitive

    "The United States owns Point Roberts by the terms of the Treaty of Oregon."

  4. 4
    To defeat or embarrass; to overwhelm. transitive

    "I will own my enemies."

  5. 5
    To virtually or figuratively enslave. transitive
Show 10 more definitions
  1. 6
    To defeat, dominate, or be above. Internet, slang
  2. 7
    To illicitly obtain superuser or root access to a computer system, thereby having access to all of the user files on that system. slang, transitive

    ""TH15 5Y5T3M 15 0WN3D""

  3. 8
    To be very good. intransitive, slang
  4. 9
    To admit, concede, grant, allow, acknowledge, confess; not to deny. intransitive

    "I must own that I have been at fault all this time."

  5. 10
    To admit; concede; acknowledge. transitive

    "Two of those fellows you must know and own."

  6. 11
    To proudly acknowledge; to not be ashamed or embarrassed of. transitive

    ""Well, I'm not hiding anymore! I'm owning my girly looks with cute short pink hair!""

  7. 12
    To take responsibility for. transitive

    "Representative Nancy Mace, Republican of South Carolina, told reporters that Democrats “own” the assassination of Mr. Kirk. When a reporter questioned her about attacks on Democrats, she cut him off. “Democrats own this,” she said. “We’re talking about Charlie Kirk right now.”"

  8. 13
    To recognise; acknowledge. transitive

    "to own one as a son"

  9. 14
    To claim as one's own. transitive
  10. 15
    To confess. UK, dialectal, intransitive
Adjective
  1. 1
    Belonging to; possessed; acquired; proper to; property of; titled to; held in one's name; under/using the name of. Often marks a possessive determiner as reflexive, referring back to the subject of the clause or sentence. not-comparable

    "The fathers shall not bee put to death for the children, neither shall the children be put to death for the fathers: euery man shall be put to death for his owne sinne."

  2. 2
    Not shared. not-comparable

    "When we move into the new house, the kids will each have their own bedroom."

  3. 3
    Peculiar, domestic. not-comparable, obsolete
  4. 4
    Not foreign. not-comparable, obsolete
Adjective
  1. 1
    belonging to or on behalf of a specified person (especially yourself); preceded by a possessive wordnet

Synonyms

All synonyms
havepossessacceptaccept responsibilityacknowledgeacknowledge

Antonyms

chartered company rulehackneyedbe owned bybelonging

Example

"Mathematicians are like French people: whatever you tell them they translate it into their own language and turn it into something totally different."

Common questions

What does "own" mean?

A crushing insult.

What is a synonym for "own"?

Common synonyms include: have, possess, accept, accept responsibility, acknowledge, acknowledge.

How do you use "own" in a sentence?

Mathematicians are like French people: whatever you tell them they translate it into their own language and turn it into something totally different.

How do you pronounce "own"?

Pronounced /ɑːn/.

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle English owen, aȝen, from Old English āgen (“own, proper, peculiar”), originally the past participle of āgan; from Proto-West Germanic *aigan (“own”), from Proto-Germanic *aiganaz (“own”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eyḱ- (“to have, possess”). Cognates Cognate with Scots ain (“own”), Saterland Frisian oain (“own”), Dutch, German and Norwegian Nynorsk eigen (“own”), Norwegian Bokmål and Swedish egen (“own”), Icelandic eigin (“own”). Originally past participle of the verb at hand in English owe. Also cognate with Sanskrit ईश्वर (īśvará, “able to do, capable of; owner, master”).

Etymology 2

A back-formation from owner, owning and own (adjective). Compare Old English āgnian, Dutch eigenen, German eignen, Swedish ägna.

More for "own"

Synonyms

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