Dictionary

own en · ADJ · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• /aːn/ (Northumbria)
• /oʊn/ (General-American)
• /uŋ/ (Hong-Kong)
• /əʊn/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• ōn most accents
• (General-American) audio
• /aʊn/ (UK, sometimes)

Etymology

From Middle English oun, owen, from Old English āgen (“own, proper, peculiar”), originally the past participle of āgan; from Proto-West Germanic *aigan (“own”), from Proto-Germanic *aiganaz (“own”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eyḱ- (“to have, possess”). Doublet of eigen-. Cognates Cognate with Scots ain, awin, awn, ayn (“own”), Saterland Frisian oain (“own”), West Frisian, Dutch, and German eigen (“own”), Danish, Norwegian Bokmål, and Swedish egen (“own”), Faroese egin (“own”), Icelandic eigin, eiginn (“own”), Norwegian Nynorsk eigen (“own”); also Ossetian исын (isyn, “to take”), Tocharian A and Tocharian B aik- (“to know, recognize”), Sanskrit ईश (īśa, “owning, possessing”). Originally past participle of the verb at hand in English owe.

Meanings

1. (not-comparable) Belonging to; possessed; acquired and designated by; proper to; property of; titled to; held in one's name; under/using the name of. Often marks a possessive determiner as reflexive, referring back to the subject of the clause or sentence.
   • I corralled the judge, and we started off across the fields, in no very mild state of fear of that gentleman's wife, whose vigilance was seldom relaxed. And thus we came by a circuitous route to Mohair, the judge occupied by his own guilty thoughts, and I by others not less disturbing. 1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter VIII, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC:
   • The dirty secret of the internet is that all this distraction and interruption is immensely profitable. Web companies like to boast about […], or offering services that let you[…] "share the things you love with the world" and so on. But the real way to build a successful online business is to be better than your rivals at undermining people's control of their own attention. 2013 June 21, Oliver Burkeman, “The tao of tech”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 2, page 27:
   • The fathers shall not bee put to death for the children, neither shall the children be put to death for the fathers: euery man shall be put to death for his owne sinne. 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Deuteronomy 24:16:
   • Prospero: Fairely ſpoke ; / Sit then, and talke with her, ſhe is thine owne ; 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene i], page 14:
   • He looked round the poor room, at the distempered walls, and the bad engravings in meretricious frames, the crinkly paper and wax flowers on the chiffonier; and he thought of a room like Father Bryan's, with panelling, with cut glass, with tulips in silver pots, such a room as he had hoped to have for his own. 1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter X, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:
2. (not-comparable) Not shared.
   • When we move into the new house, the kids will each have their own bedroom.
3. (not-comparable, obsolete) Peculiar, domestic.
4. (not-comparable, obsolete) Not foreign.

Forms

Deriveds

pick on someone your own size · beat someone at their own game · roll-your-own · pay back in someone's own coin · on one's own · own-account · of one's own making · in one's own right · march to the beat of one's own drum · up one's own ass · stick to one's own knitting · stand on one's own bottom · ownness · hoist with one's own petard · carry one's own hide to market · leave someone to their own devices · taste of one's own medicine · on one's own hook · on someone's own dime · to each his own · hoist by one's own petard · mind one's own business · God's own county · ownsome · afraid of one's own shadow · blow one's own horn · frolic of his own · stew in one's own juices · a prophet is not without honor save in his own country · abound in one's own sense · take the law into one's own hands · in a world of one's own · under one's own steam · lift oneself up by one's own boot-tags · every miller draws water to his own mill · off one's own back · life of its own · at one's own peril · lift oneself up by one's own bootstraps · a good deed is its own reward · take one's own life · for one's own good · in one's own little world · make one's own luck · of its own head · sign one's own death warrant · stew in one's own grease · take one's own hide to market · catch someone at their own game · victim of one's own success · high on one's own supply · mind your own beeswax · keep one's own counsel · be one's own man · be one's own worst enemy · write one's own ticket · march to the beat of one's own drummer · scratch one's own itch · blow one's own trumpet · jump at one's own shadow · have it your own way · on one's own ground · sell one's own grandmother · attend to one's own knitting · drink one's own Kool-Aid · plough one's own furrow · pull one's own weight · no one should be judge in his own cause · march to one's own drum · own motion · take matters into one's own hands · think one is God's own cousin · legend in one's own lunchtime · take oneself up by one's own ears · stew in one's own gravy · choose-your-own-adventure · tend to one's own knitting · stand in one's own light · foul one's own nest · put one's own oxygen mask on first · pay one's own way · hoist on one's own petard · don't shit in your own nest · tell its own story · own brand · roll one's own · on one's own account · to each their own · in one's own backyard · legend in one's own lifetime · of its own study · legend in one's own mind · make a stick for one's own back · in a league of one's own · taste of one's own poison · each to their own · chase one's own tail · comfortable in one's own skin · with one's own eyes · to one's own cheek · have one's own zip code · choose your own adventure · do one's own thing · paddle one's own canoe · God's own country · believe one's own eyes · for one's own hand · take the matter into one's own hands · like the sound of one's own voice · mind-your-own-business · play someone at their own game · stand on one's own two feet · go one's own way · live one's own life · rent-to-own · get one's own back · legend in one's own time · of one's own accord · stew in one's own juice · own label · bird of one's own brain · the devil looks after his own · hold one's own · stew in one's own broth · hoisted with one's own petard · keep to one's own knitting · at one's own risk · hoisted by one's own petard · Virtue is her own reward · do one's own time · pay one's own freight · one's time is one's own · make one's own · it's an ill bird that fouls its own nest · to thine own self be true · rod for one's own back · a life of its own · know one's own mind · put on one's own oxygen mask first · lift oneself up by one's own waistbands · bring one's own hide to market · ownwayish · ownself · raise oneself up by one's own bootstraps · by one's own hand · get one's own way · toot one's own horn · smoke one's own dope · march to one's own drummer · rod for one's own breech · virtue is its own reward · trip over one's own two feet · every man is the architect of his own fortune · pull oneself up by one's own bootstraps · pick-your-own · after one's own heart · tell its own tale · take law into one's own hands · on one's own time · in one's own time · smell one's own farts · carry one's own weight · for one's own part · off one's own bat · feather one's own nest · one's own boss · cut one's own throat · leave to one's own devices · stand on its own · a prophet has no honor in his own country · it is a wise child that knows his own father · out of one's own pocket · you'll be late for your own funeral · dig one's own grave · know one's own head · in one's own good time · of one's own · each to his own · in one's own little way · water finds its own level · one's own master · hoisted on one's own petard · in one's own world · dose of one's own medicine · water seeks its own level · on one's own bat · eat one's own · come into one's own · eat one's own dog food · devil's own · own goal · after one's own soul · have a mind of one's own

Translations (81)

yi אייגן (belonging to (determiner)) · uk свій (belonging to (determiner)) · ta சொந்த (belonging to (determiner)) · hu birtokol (belonging to (determiner)) · bg свой (belonging to (determiner)) · da egen (belonging to (determiner)) · ba үҙ (belonging to (determiner)) · pt próprio (belonging to (determiner)) · pl własny (belonging to (determiner)) · gd fhèin (belonging to (determiner)) · cmn 自己的 (belonging to (determiner)) · osx ēgan (belonging to (determiner)) · lv savs (belonging to (determiner)) · sco ain (belonging to (determiner)) · hu saját (belonging to (determiner)) · de eigen (belonging to (determiner)) · es propio (belonging to (determiner)) · ist pruoprio (belonging to (determiner)) · mfe prop (belonging to (determiner)) · ast propiu (belonging to (determiner)) · eo propra (belonging to (determiner)) · sl svoj (belonging to (determiner)) · et oma (belonging to (determiner)) · ar نَفْس (belonging to (determiner)) · uz oʻzi (belonging to (determiner)) · sl lasten (belonging to (determiner)) · nl eigen (belonging to (determiner)) · grc ἴδιος (belonging to (determiner)) · vec propio (belonging to (determiner)) · af eie (belonging to (determiner)) · sh vlastit (belonging to (determiner)) · uk вла́сний (belonging to (determiner)) · fi oma (belonging to (determiner)) · ru со́бственный (belonging to (determiner)) · ka საკუთარი (belonging to (determiner)) · vi riêng (belonging to (determiner)) · ang āgen (belonging to (determiner)) · et enda (belonging to (determiner)) · he מִשֶּׁל (belonging to (determiner)) · ro propriu (belonging to (determiner)) · sk vlastný (belonging to (determiner)) · ko 자기의 (belonging to (determiner)) · oc pròpri (belonging to (determiner)) · sh сопствен (belonging to (determiner)) · el δικός (belonging to (determiner)) · hi अपना (belonging to (determiner)) · ms sendiri (belonging to (determiner)) · haw ponoʻī (belonging to (determiner)) · ca propi (belonging to (determiner)) · kw honen (belonging to (determiner)) · be ўла́сны (belonging to (determiner)) · bg со́бствен (belonging to (determiner)) · sk svoj (belonging to (determiner)) · mk сопствен (belonging to (determiner)) · id sendiri (belonging to (determiner)) · km ខ្លួនឯង (belonging to (determiner)) · mk свој (belonging to (determiner)) · ar مِلْك (belonging to (determiner)) · svs gheza (belonging to (determiner)) · bho अपन (belonging to (determiner)) · la proprius (belonging to (determiner)) · ja 自身の (belonging to (determiner)) · pl swój (belonging to (determiner)) · sh властит (belonging to (determiner)) · fr propre (belonging to (determiner)) · az öz (belonging to (determiner)) · sv egen (belonging to (determiner)) · ru свой (belonging to (determiner)) · sh sopstven (belonging to (determiner)) · km ឯង (belonging to (determiner)) · ur اپنا (belonging to (determiner)) · be свой (belonging to (determiner)) · ca mateix (belonging to (determiner)) · scn propiu (belonging to (determiner)) · it proprio (belonging to (determiner)) · be ула́сны (belonging to (determiner)) · cs vlastní (belonging to (determiner)) · as নিজৰ (belonging to (determiner)) · got 𐍃𐍅𐌴𐍃 (belonging to (determiner)) · ga féin (belonging to (determiner)) · et isiklik (belonging to (determiner))

own en · NOUN · etymology 2

Pronunciation

• /aːn/ (Northumbria)
• /oʊn/ (General-American)
• /uŋ/ (Hong-Kong)
• /əʊn/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• ōn most accents
• (General-American) audio
• /aʊn/ (UK, sometimes)

Etymology

A back-formation from owner. Compare Old English āgnian, Dutch eigenen, German eignen, Swedish ägna.

Meanings

1. (Internet) A crushing insult.
   • the amount of bigots that just screenshot my profile thinking it's the biggest own is insane. 2023 June 10, @__Happyface, Twitter:

Forms

Deriveds

self-own

own en · VERB · etymology 2

Pronunciation

• /aːn/ (Northumbria)
• /oʊn/ (General-American)
• /uŋ/ (Hong-Kong)
• /əʊn/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• ōn most accents
• (General-American) audio
• /aʊn/ (UK, sometimes)

Etymology

A back-formation from owner. Compare Old English āgnian, Dutch eigenen, German eignen, Swedish ägna.

Meanings

1. (transitive) To have rightful possession of (property, goods or capital); to have legal title to; to acquire a property or asset.
   • I own this car.
2. (transitive) To have recognized political sovereignty over a place, territory, as distinct from the ordinary connotation of property ownership.
   • The United States owns Point Roberts by the terms of the Treaty of Oregon.
3. (informal, transitive) To defeat or embarrass; to overwhelm.
   • All the ‘Milo OWNS stupid feminist’ type of videos today are made with much the same style as the new atheist videos that were equally numerous on YouTube a few years before with titles like ‘HITCHSLAP. Hitchens OWNS stupid Christian woman’. 2017, Angela Nagle, “Basic bitches, normies and the lamestream”, in Kill All Normies, Zero Books, →ISBN:
   • I will own my enemies.
   • If he wins, he will own you.
4. (transitive) To virtually or figuratively enslave.
5. (Internet, slang) To defeat, dominate, or be above.
6. (slang, transitive) To illicitly obtain administrative access to a computer system, thereby having full access to all the files thereon (including executables).
   • "TH15 5Y5T3M 15 0WN3D" 1996 June 21, The Happiest Dragon Alive!!, “Re: An unusual situation”, in (Usenet), retrieved 24 Sep 2016, message-ID <4qe8pc$8ti@nerd.apk.net>:
7. (intransitive, slang) To be very good.
8. (intransitive) To admit, concede, grant, allow; not to deny.
   • For instance, when I flung the cat out of an upper window (though I did it from no ill-feeling, and it didn't hurt the cat), I was ready, after a moment's reflection, to own I was wrong, as a gentleman should. 1895, Kenneth Graham, The Golden Age, London, page 6:
   • I am sorry to own I began to worry then. 1899 February, Joseph Conrad, “The Heart of Darkness”, in Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine, volume CLXV, number M, New York, N.Y.: The Leonard Scott Publishing Company, […], →OCLC, part I:
   • They learned how perfectly peaceful the home could be. And they almost regretted—though none of them would have owned to such callousness—that their father was soon coming back. 1913, D[avid] H[erbert] Lawrence, chapter 5, in Sons and Lovers, London: Duckworth & Co. […], →OCLC:
   • I own thy speechless, placeless power; but to the last gasp of my earthquake life will dispute its unconditional, unintegral mastery in me. 1851, Herman Melville, Moby-Dick:
9. (transitive) To acknowledge.
   • Two of those fellows you must know and own. 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, (please specify the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals)]:
   • It must be owned, the good Jocelin, spite of his beautiful childlike character, is but an altogether imperfect 'mirror' of these old-world things! 1843 April, Thomas Carlyle, “1, ’’Jocelin of Brakelond’’”, in Past and Present, American edition, Boston, Mass.: Charles C[offin] Little and James Brown, published 1843, →OCLC, book II (The Ancient Monk):
   • I must own that I have been at fault all this time.
10. (transitive) To proudly acknowledge; to not be ashamed or embarrassed of.
    • "Well, I'm not hiding anymore! I'm owning my girly looks with cute short pink hair!" 2014 April 17, Dan Shive, El Goonish Shive (webcomic), Comic for Thursday, Apr 17, 2014:
11. (transitive) To take responsibility for.
    • Representative Nancy Mace, Republican of South Carolina, told reporters that Democrats “own” the assassination of Mr. Kirk. When a reporter questioned her about attacks on Democrats, she cut him off. “Democrats own this,” she said. “We’re talking about Charlie Kirk right now.” 2025 September 11, Luke Broadwater, Alan Feuer, quoting Nancy Mace, “As Political Violence Rises, Trump Condemns One Side”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 31 Oct 2025:
12. (transitive) To recognise.
    • I own him as a son of my own.
13. (transitive) To claim as one's own.
14. (UK, dialectal, intransitive) To confess.

Forms

Antonyms

disown (antonym(s) of “admit”)

Deriveds

part-own · self-own · co-own · owndom · disown · owner · pwn · ownage · state-owned · ownable · you will own nothing and be happy · misown · own up · ownability

Synonyms

to possess (have rightful possession of) · defeat (defeat) · best (defeat) · have (defeat) · overthrow (defeat) · acquire (have rightful possession of) · property of (have rightful possession of) · pwn · take (defeat) · vanquish (defeat) · overcome (defeat) · beat (defeat) · have to one's name (have rightful possession of) · title to (have rightful possession of) · pwn · 0wn

Translations (95)

es poseer (have rightful possession of) · la habeō (have rightful possession of) · akk išûm (have rightful possession of) · sk mať (have rightful possession of) · ro deține (have rightful possession of) · et tunnistama (acknowledge responsibility for) · sa ईष्टे (have rightful possession of) · af besit (have rightful possession of) · sh imati (have rightful possession of) · ka ფლობს (have rightful possession of) · pl posiadać (have rightful possession of) · mk поседува (have rightful possession of) · uk володі́ти (have rightful possession of) · sl imeti (have rightful possession of) · scn pussèdiri (have rightful possession of) · eo posedi (have rightful possession of) · ja 所有する (have rightful possession of) · no eie (have rightful possession of) · nl bezitten (have rightful possession of) · da eje (have rightful possession of) · sh поседовати (have rightful possession of) · vi sở hữu (have rightful possession of) · pt possuir (have rightful possession of) · fr posséder (have rightful possession of) · cs mít (have rightful possession of) · af het (have rightful possession of) · sv erkänna (acknowledge responsibility for) · et omistama (acknowledge responsibility for) · nn eige (have rightful possession of) · tr sahip olmak (have rightful possession of) · ale ux̂tal (have rightful possession of) · pl mieć (have rightful possession of) · cs vlastnit (have rightful possession of) · fo eiga (have rightful possession of) · es admitir (acknowledge responsibility for) · sh властити (have rightful possession of) · nl hebben (have rightful possession of) · km ជាម្ចាស់ (have rightful possession of) · sv äga (have rightful possession of) · cmn 擁有 /拥有 (have rightful possession of) · bg владе́я (have rightful possession of) · ang āgan (have rightful possession of) · it possedere (have rightful possession of) · mk има (have rightful possession of) · cmn 所有 (have rightful possession of) · uk ма́ти (have rightful possession of) · he היה ל־ (have rightful possession of) · grc νομίζω (acknowledge responsibility for) · fi omistaa (have rightful possession of) · he שייך ל־ (have rightful possession of) · de zugeben (acknowledge responsibility for) · got 𐌰𐌹𐌲𐌰𐌽 (have rightful possession of) · cy piau (have rightful possession of) · ru облада́ть (have rightful possession of) · sw miliki (have rightful possession of) · sv vidgå (acknowledge responsibility for) · osx ēgan (have rightful possession of) · et tunnustama (acknowledge responsibility for) · sk vlastniť (have rightful possession of) · hu bír (have rightful possession of) · sco awn (have rightful possession of) · sh vlastiti (have rightful possession of) · es reconocer (acknowledge responsibility for) · cmn 有 (have rightful possession of) · ar مَلَكَ (have rightful possession of) · ru владе́ть (have rightful possession of) · af erken (acknowledge responsibility for) · fr avoir (have rightful possession of) · de haben (have rightful possession of) · grc κέκτημαι (have rightful possession of) · fi tunnustaa (acknowledge responsibility for) · ru име́ть (have rightful possession of) · bg и́мам (have rightful possession of) · gd sealbhaich (have rightful possession of) · ko 소유하다 (have rightful possession of) · be мець (have rightful possession of) · et omama (have rightful possession of) · ru признава́ть (acknowledge responsibility for) · hu saját (have rightful possession of) · sv tillstå (acknowledge responsibility for) · qu jap'iy (have rightful possession of) · be вало́даць (have rightful possession of) · es tener (have rightful possession of) · sh posedovati (have rightful possession of) · de besitzen (have rightful possession of) · la possideō (have rightful possession of) · hu birtokol (have rightful possession of) · is eiga (have rightful possession of) · he but see יש ל־ (have rightful possession of) · af toegee (acknowledge responsibility for) · chy -á'en (have rightful possession of) · vo dalabön (have rightful possession of) · de eingestehen (acknowledge responsibility for) · hy ունենալ (have rightful possession of) · sh имати (have rightful possession of)