Meaning & use
own
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Meanings
verbtransitive
To have something as your legal property or possession.
Grammar: Takes an object: own a house. Not used in the progressive when it means possession.
Patterns
- own something
- own a business
They own a small house near the beach.
She owns three restaurants in the city.
He wants to own his own company one day.
adjectivebefore a noun
Belonging to oneself, used after a possessive for emphasis.
Grammar: Always follows a possessive: my own room, her own idea. Cannot stand alone.
Patterns
- my own something
- your own something
- on one's own
I finally have my own office.
She cooked the meal in her own kitchen.
He learned to drive on his own.
Word forms
| third person singular | owns |
|---|---|
| past tense | owned |
| past participle | owned |
| -ing form | owning |
Common combinations
- own a home
- Many young people cannot afford to own a home.
- own a business
- She owns a small business downtown.
- own up to something
- He owned up to his mistake.
- my own
- I want to make my own decisions.
Synonyms and how they differ
- possess
- More formal than own; often used for things you have, not just property.
- have
- The general word; own stresses legal ownership.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: own or owe?
own vs owe
Owe means to need to pay money back; own means to possess.
Practice
Choose the correct sentence.
Choose one answer.
Own is a stative verb, so it is not used in the progressive and takes -s with she. 'She is owning' and 'She owning' are wrong because of the progressive; 'She own' lacks the -s.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “own”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.