Meaning & use

owner

noun·Everyday

A person who legally possesses something, such as property, a business, or an animal.

See it in a sentence

The new owner of the bakery kept most of the original staff and recipes.

Neighbors complained repeatedly to the dog's owner about the constant barking at night.

A note on using this word

Owner is the general term, while proprietor is more formal and typically used specifically for someone who runs a business.

Words with a similar meaning

proprietorpossessor

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

Words with an opposite meaning

Make it your own

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