OWN Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com

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own

[ ohn ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

adjective

of, relating to, or belonging to oneself or itself (usually used after a possessive to emphasize the idea of ownership, interest, or relation conveyed by the possessive):
He spent only his own money.
(used as an intensifier to indicate oneself as the sole agent of some activity or action, preceded by a possessive):
He insists on being his own doctor.

verb (used with object)

to have or hold as one's own; possess:
They own several homes.
Antonyms: ,
to acknowledge or admit:
to own a fault.
to acknowledge as one's own; recognize as having full claim, authority, power, dominion, etc.:
He owned his child before the entire assembly. They owned the king as their lord.
to totally defeat, gain control over, or dominate in a competition:
I totally owned the last two levels of the game.
He owned the season from beginning to end and took the world title.
to take over a (a computer system, program, or computer) without authorization:
The network has been owned by a hacker.

verb (used without object)

to confess (often followed by to, up, or up to ):
The one who did it had better own up. I own to being uncertain about that.

own

/ əʊ�� /

determiner

1. (intensifier)
  your own mother
  John's own idea
2. ( as pronoun )
  I'll use my own
on behalf of oneself or in relation to oneself
he is his own worst enemy
come into one's own
1. to become fulfilled
  she really came into her own when she got divorced
2. to receive what is due to one
get one's own back informal.
to have revenge
hold one's own
to maintain one's situation or position, esp in spite of opposition or difficulty
on one's own
1. without help
2. by oneself; alone

verb

tr to have as one's possession
whenintr, often foll by up, to, or up to to confess or admit; acknowledge
rare.
tr; takes a clause as object to concede
I own that you are right

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Other 51�Թ� Forms

�Դǲ�·�Ƿɲ�i�Բ� adjective
�ܲ�·�ǷɲԱ�� adjective

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51�Թ� History and Origins

Origin of own¹

First recorded before 900; (adjective) Middle English owen, Old English �岵�� (cognate with German eigen, Old Norse eigenn ), originally the past participle of �岵�� “to possess” ( owe ); (verb) Middle English ownen, Old English āgnian, āhnian, derivative of �岵��

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51�Թ� History and Origins

Origin of own¹

Old English �岵��, originally past participle of �岵�� to have; related to Old Saxon ŧ��, Old Norse eiginn. See owe

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Idioms and Phrases

come into one's own,
1. to take possession of that which is due or owed one.
2. to receive the recognition that one's abilities merit:
  She finally came into her own as a sculptor of the first magnitude.
get one's own back, to get revenge and thereby a sense of personal satisfaction, as for a slight or a previous setback; get even with somebody or something:
He saw the award as a way of getting his own back for all the snubs by his colleagues.
hold one's own,
1. to maintain one's position or condition:
  The stock market seems to be holding its own these days.
2. to be equal to the opposition:
  He can hold his own in any fight.
of one's own, belonging to oneself:
She had never had a room of her own.
on one's own,
1. by dint of one's own efforts, resources, or sense of responsibility; independently:
  Because she spoke the language, she got around the country very well on her own.
2. living or functioning without dependence on others; independent:
  My son's been on his own for several years.

More idioms and phrases containing own

afraid of one's own shadow
after one's own heart
beat someone at his or her own game
blow one's own horn
call one's own
close to home
come into (one's own)
dig one's own grave
do one's (own) thing
dose of one's own medicine
get (one's own) back
get one's (own) way
go one's (own) way
hold one's own
in one's (own) interest
in one's own backyard
in one's own right
in one's own world
keep one's own counsel
know one's own mind
leave to someone's own devices
mind of one's own
mind one's own business
of one's own accord
on one's (own) feet
on one's own
on one's own account
on one's own time
paddle one's own canoe
pay back in one's own coin
pay one's (own) way
pick on (someone your own size)
pull one's (own) weight
sign one's own death warrant
stew in one's own juice
take into one's (own) hands
under one's own steam
write one's own ticket

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Synonym Study

See have.

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

“I’ve been in other classes where even though they say no laptops, people still pull them out and are doing their own thing,” Louderback said.

From

“The Board must insist on its own independence and the independence of its hearing officers,” they wrote.

From

He even brought his own prepackaged meals to his cousin’s wedding so he could be sure the food served there was not interfering with his regimen.

From

But Trump almost never thinks in larger strategic terms, or at least not about anything beyond his own whims and desires.

From

She has raised more than £10,000 for the mental health charity Body & Soul, which helped her after she tried to take her own life.

From

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

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