English dictionary

own Meaning & Definition

Q: What is the past tense of own?

The past tense of own is owned. The present participle is owning.

/əʊn/

What Does Own Mean?

As an adjective, own means Belonging to; possessed; acquired and designated by; 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. It is also used to mean Not shared. As a verb, it means To have rightful possession of (property, goods or capital); to have legal title to; to acquire a property or asset. As a noun, it means A crushing insult.

Own at a Glance

Part of speech	adjective, verb, noun
Pronunciation	/əʊn/
Synonyms	possess, have and ain
Antonyms	disown
Plural	owns
Verb forms	owns, owning, owned

Own Definition (Adjective)

Belonging to; possessed; acquired and designated by; 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 shared.
When we move into the new house, the kids will each have their own bedroom.
Peculiar, domestic.
Not foreign.

Own as a Verb

To have rightful possession of (property, goods or capital); to have legal title to; to acquire a property or asset.
I own this car.
To have recognized political sovereignty over a place, territory, as distinct from the ordinary connotation of property ownership.
The United States owns Point Roberts by the terms of the Treaty of Oregon.
To defeat or embarrass; to overwhelm.
I will own my enemies.
To virtually or figuratively enslave.
To defeat, dominate, or be above.
To illicitly obtain administrative access to a computer system, thereby having full access to all the files thereon (including executables).
To be very good.
To admit, concede, grant, allow; not to deny.
To acknowledge.
I must own that I have been at fault all this time.
To proudly acknowledge; to not be ashamed or embarrassed of.
To take responsibility for.
To recognise.
I own him as a son of my own.
To claim as one's own.
To confess.

Own as a Noun

A crushing insult.

Adjective

Belonging to; possessed; proper to. Often marks a possessive determiner as reflexive, referring back to the subject of the clause or sentence.

Verb

To have rightful possession of (property, goods or capital); to have legal title to.
I own this car.
To defeat, dominate, or be above, also spelled pwn.
To illicitly obtain superuser or root access to a computer system, thereby having access to all of the user files on that system; pwn.

Verb

To grant; give.
To admit, concede, grant, allow, acknowledge, confess; not to deny.
To admit; concede; acknowledge.
To answer to.
To recognise; acknowledge.
to own one as a son

Synonyms of Own

possess have ain beat defeat overcome overthrow vanquish take best

Own synonyms and antonyms →

Antonyms of Own

disown

Own in a Sentence

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

I own this car.

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

I will own my enemies.

If he wins, he will own you.

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

I own him as a son of my own.

to own one as a son

Word Forms & Grammar

own (not comparable)

own (third-person singular simple present owns, present participle owning, simple past and past participle owned)

own (plural owns)

Words That Rhyme With Own

moan groan drone bemoan cornerstone tone stone condone unknown cyclone atone baritone monotone unbeknown bone backbone hone milestone zone lone cicerone capstone throne alone roan undertone chaperone cone blown flagstone

Origin of Own

Origin 1: From Middle English oun, owen, 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”). Doublet of eigen-.

Origin 2: A back-formation from owner. Compare Old English āgnian, Dutch eigenen, German eignen, Swedish ägna.

Frequently Asked Questions About Own

Is own an adjective or a verb?

Own is mainly used as an adjective, but it can also be used as a verb and a noun.

What is another word for own?

Close synonyms of own are possess, have and ain. See the full list of own synonyms and antonyms.

What is the opposite of own?

The opposite of own is disown.

What is the plural of own?

The plural of own is owns.

What is the past tense of own?

The past tense of own is owned. The present participle is owning.