Meaning & use

own

verb·Everyday

To have something as one's legal property or possession.

See it in a sentence

They have owned the small farmhouse for nearly thirty years.

She proudly owns a bookstore in the center of town.

A note on using this word

As an adjective, own is used for emphasis after a possessive, as in her own idea, stressing that nothing was borrowed or shared.

Words with a similar meaning

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Another way to use it

2. adjective

Belonging to oneself, used for emphasis after a possessive.

He insisted on paying for the trip with his own money.

Make it your own

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