owner
owner
Pronunciation
The IPA phonetic spelling for "owner" is /ˈoʊnər/.
oʊ (as in "oh")
nər (as in "ner" in "runner")
Word Form Variations
Singular Noun: owner
Plural Noun: owners
Possessive Noun (Singular): owner's
Possessive Noun (Plural): owners'
Verb (Base Form): own
Verb (Third Person Singular Present): owns
Verb (Present Participle): owning
Verb (Past Tense/Past Participle): owned
Adjective: owned (often used in compounds like "owner-occupied")
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Noun
Definition: A person or entity who possesses something; one who has legal title to or rightful possession of property, an object, or a living being.
Synonyms: possessor, proprietor, holder, master, rightful claimant
Antonyms: tenant, renter, borrower, squatter, employee
Definition: In a more abstract sense, one who has control or mastery over a particular skill, characteristic, or situation.
Synonyms: master, controller, director, expert
Antonyms: novice, amateur, subordinate, follower
Verb (from "own")
Definition: To have or possess as one's own; to hold as property.
Synonyms: possess, hold, have, control, retain
Antonyms: lack, want, forfeit, disown, divest
Definition: To acknowledge or admit that something is true, often in the context of taking responsibility.
Synonyms: admit, confess, acknowledge, concede, avow
Antonyms: deny, disavow, reject, repudiate, dispute
Examples of Use
Books: "The current owner of the rare manuscript, an anonymous collector, has decided to put it up for auction next month" ( Antiques and Curiosities: A Guide to Collecting by J.P. Harrington, October 2023).
Newspapers: "The new stadium will provide a significant boost to the local economy, according to the team's owner, who spoke at a press conference on Tuesday" (The Daily Chronicle).
Online Publications: "Dog owners are being reminded to keep their pets on a leash in public parks to ensure the safety of other visitors" ( PetCare Today.com).
Entertainment Mediums (Film): "The protagonist, a struggling artist, discovers that the true owner of the hidden treasure is not who she initially thought" (from the film The Lost Locket, released September 2023).
Entertainment Platforms (Television): "In this episode, the antique roadshow features a valuable painting, and the hosts try to trace its original owner" (from the TV show Antique Roadshow, aired November 2024).
General Public Discourse: "When you lease a car, you're not the owner; you're just paying for the right to use it for a certain period." (Heard in a conversation about car financing).
Business Context: "The owner of the small business emphasized the importance of customer service in differentiating their brand" (from a business seminar presentation).
Real Estate: "Prospective homebuyers should always conduct thorough due diligence to understand any potential liabilities tied to the current owner of a property" (from a real estate blog post).
10 Quotes Using Owner
"A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself, especially when you are his owner." (Josh Billings)
"Every man is the owner of a continent of unclaimed pleasure." (Herman Melville)
"The first duty of a man is to get a conception of his own nature, and of what he is born to do, or to become; and, secondly, to act upon that conception with an inflexible will, and an unswerving aim to be the true owner of himself." (Ralph Waldo Emerson)
"No one is the owner of anything. All things belong to God, to humanity, to nature." (Pope Francis)
"When you're the owner, you're responsible for everything. The good, the bad, and the ugly." (Robert Kiyosaki)
"He who is his own owner is truly free." (Plato)
"To be the owner of a house and to live in it is to experience an indescribable sense of freedom." (Atticus Finch, from To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee)
"Man, proud man, dressed in a little brief authority, most ignorant of what he's most assured, his glassy essence, like an angry ape, plays such fantastic tricks before high heaven as makes the angels weep; who, with our spleens, would all themselves laugh mortal, and endure to be but flouting, and to be the owner of a drop of water in the ocean, and that the only drop." (William Shakespeare, Measure for Measure)
"The owner of a good memory is not one who can remember anything, but one who can forget anything that is not worth remembering." (Samuel Butler)
"Ultimately, you are the owner of your life and your decisions." (Oprah Winfrey)
Etymology
The word "owner" is quite straightforward in its origins! It essentially comes from the word "own" (meaning to possess) with the "-er" suffix, which is commonly used in English to mean "a person who does something" (like "teacher" from "teach").
The roots of "own" go back to Old English, specifically the word "agnian," which meant "to possess" or "to have." This itself came from an even older Germanic root, *agan-, also meaning "to have."
The first known use of "owner" as we understand it, meaning "one who owns" or "one who has legal or rightful title," appeared in Middle English around the mid-14th century. So, while the idea of possessing something is ancient, the specific word "owner" in English became common much later, developing directly from the existing word "own."
Phrases + Idioms Containing Owner
Owner-operator: A person who both owns and operates a business or piece of equipment.
Pet owner: Someone who owns a pet.
Homeowner: A person who owns a house.
Business owner: An individual who owns a business.
Joint owner: Someone who shares ownership of something with one or more other people.
Proud owner: Someone who is very pleased with something they own.
Absent owner: An owner who is not present on their property or at their business.
The rightful owner: The person who has the legal right to possess something.
Change of owner: When ownership of something, like a business or property, is transferred to a new person or entity.
Owner's manual: A book or guide that comes with a product, providing instructions for its use and maintenance.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of owner from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
