ownership

noun

own·​er·​ship ˈō-nər-ˌship How to pronounce ownership (audio)
plural ownerships
Synonyms of ownershipnext
1
: the state, relation, or fact of being an owner
Warhol died in 1987, and the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts assumed ownership of his work.—Adam Liptak
… transfer of business and farm ownerships …—The Columbian (Clark County, Washington) (online)
2
: a group or organization of owners
The sale, if approved by at least 75% of major league ownership, would value the team at $1.725 billion.—Cale Clinton
3
: the quality or state of being accountable : responsibility
A successful candidate must settle all fines and costs owed to the society … and take full ownership for the conduct that led to their disciplinary hearing.—Maggie McIntosh
The important thing in those situations is to promptly accept ownership of a misstep, do what's necessary to clean up the mess, and make the changes necessary to ensure it doesn't happen again.—Danville (Virginia) Register & Bee

Examples of ownership in a Sentence

The company is under private ownership.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Leave enough room for other people to contribute ideas and take real ownership. — Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 1 Sep. 2026 The addition of a baseball team gives KSE ownership in every major professional sport and a deeper presence in one of the top sports and entertainment markets in the world. — Jessica Golden,michael Ozanian, CNBC, 1 Sep. 2026 Kia's base model can feel a bit barebones, but upper trims feature plenty of creature comforts and tech enhancements that improve its driving and ownership experience. — Keith Laing, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026 Employee ownership also helps secure critical buy-in from current employees, who now have an equity stake in the company's future success. — Evan Edwards, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for ownership

Word History

Etymology

owner + -ship

First Known Use

1583, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of ownership was in 1583

Phrases Containing ownership

Rhymes for ownership

See All Rhymes for ownership

Browse Nearby Words

owner-occupier
ownership
own goal
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ownership.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ownership. Accessed 3 Sep. 2026.

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Legal Definition

ownership

noun
own·​er·​ship
: the state, relation, or fact of being an owner
also : the rights or interests of an owner
— absolute ownership
: ownership especially by a single person that is free of any encumbrances or limitations other than statutory law compare fee simple absolute at fee simple
— ostensible ownership \ ä-​ˈsten-​sə-​bəl-​ \
: ownership that is apparent rather than actual and that sometimes is recognized in cases of purchase of the property by an innocent third party a dispute arising from the dealer's ostensible ownership and sale of the collateral

Note: A purchaser from a person with ostensible ownership of property may be able to defeat the claim to the property of the actual owner who created the ostensible ownership.

— ownership in indivision
in the civil law of Louisiana : ownership by two or more persons each having undivided shares in the property as a whole compare community property at property
— qualified ownership
: ownership that is limited by time, the interest of another party, or restrictions on the use of the property had only qualified ownership of the fish and game on his property due to state restrictions

More from Merriam-Webster on ownership

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for ownership

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about ownership

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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