Meaning & use
you own it
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Meanings
phrasefixed phrase
You take responsibility for something, especially a mistake or a situation.
Grammar: Often used as an imperative or statement: 'Own it!' means admit it and deal with it.
Patterns
- you own it
- own it
If you made the error, you own it and fix it.
She told her son, 'You broke the vase, so you own it.'
In this team, when you own it, you gain respect.
phrasefixed phrase
You possess it; it belongs to you.
Grammar: Used for physical or abstract things: own a car, own a business.
Patterns
- you own something
If you own it, you can sell it.
You own it, so you decide what to do with it.
phrasefixed phraseinformal
You do something with confidence and style, as if you were born to do it.
Grammar: Often used in informal praise: you owned that performance.
Patterns
- you own it
When you walked on stage, you owned it.
She owned the interview—she was so confident.
Common combinations
- own your mistake
- A good leader will own their mistake immediately.
- own the room
- With that speech, she owned the room.
- own it
- Just own it and move on.
Synonyms and how they differ
- take responsibility
- More formal and explicit; 'own it' is informal and punchy.
- possess
- Means to have something as property; 'own it' is more casual and can also mean take responsibility.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: you own it or on it?
you own it vs on it
'On it' means you are dealing with a task right now; 'own it' means you take responsibility.
Practice
What does 'you own it' mean in the sentence 'You made the mistake, so you own it'?
Choose one answer.
In this context, 'own it' means to accept responsibility. The other options are incorrect because they do not match the idea of taking responsibility.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “you own it”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.