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Meaning & use

full ownership

noun·Everyday

Last updated

UK/ˌfʊl ˈəʊnəʃɪp/
US/ˌfʊl ˈoʊnərʃɪp/

Meanings

  1. noununcountable

    the state of owning something completely, with all legal rights to it and no other owner involved.

    Grammar: Uncountable, so it takes no plural and no 'a': 'full ownership', not 'a full ownership'.

    Patterns

    • full ownership of something
    • have full ownership of something
    • take full ownership of something
    • be in full ownership of something

    After the final payment, the couple had full ownership of the house.

    The company took full ownership of the factory in 2019.

    She wants full ownership of the design, not a share of it.

  2. noununcountablebusiness

    complete responsibility for something and control over how it is done, especially at work.

    Grammar: Uncountable; often used with 'take' to mean accepting the duty yourself.

    Patterns

    • take full ownership of something
    • give someone full ownership of something
    • have full ownership of a project

    He took full ownership of the project and made every decision himself.

    The team was given full ownership of the schedule and the budget.

    Good managers give their staff full ownership of their daily tasks.

Common combinations

full ownership of
They now have full ownership of the land.
take full ownership
She decided to take full ownership of the problem.
have full ownership
The family has full ownership of the business.
get full ownership
You get full ownership once the loan is paid off.
transfer full ownership
The contract will transfer full ownership to the buyer.
full ownership rights
The artist kept the full ownership rights to her songs.

Synonyms and how they differ

sole ownership
Use this when you stress that only one person owns the thing, whereas 'full ownership' stresses having every right to it.
title
In legal contexts 'title' means the official right of ownership, often shown in documents, while 'full ownership' describes the complete state of owning.
possession
'Possession' can simply mean having something physically with you, so it is weaker than 'full ownership', which is about legal rights.

Opposites

partial ownershipshared ownership

Word family

owner noun
the person who owns something
own verb
to have something as your property
ownership noun
the general state of owning something

Commonly confused: full ownership or ownership? full ownership or full owner?

full ownership vs ownership

'Ownership' alone means owning something, but it can be shared; 'full ownership' makes clear that no one else has any part of it.

full ownership vs full owner

'Full owner' is a person, while 'full ownership' is the state or right itself: 'He is the full owner' but 'He has full ownership'.

Practice

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