owner

noun

own·​er ˈō-nər 

plural owners

: a person who owns something : one who has the legal or rightful title to something : one to whom property belongs

business/property owners

He and his sister are owners of the restaurant.

We were able to return the wallet to its rightful owner.

—often used in combination

dog-owners and cat-owners

Synonyms

• holder
• possessor
• proprietor

Examples of owner in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The dog’s owner Jubel Chen works as an animal trainer for Guin’s Movie Menagerie, and told PEOPLE that she was handed the tiny pup during a shoot in downtown Los Angeles around Christmas 2017. —Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 26 Apr. 2024

Though Verboten only took over the lease a few months ago, its owners had long desired to find a second taproom. —Tiney Ricciardi, The Denver Post, 26 Apr. 2024

Vendors — including the porta-potty provider, armored truck owner, snake wrangler and even Louisiana’s St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office, whose deputies provided security detail — struggled to get paid. —Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 26 Apr. 2024

International Truck of Tacos owner Blanca Gonzalez grew up at the feet of Mexican grandmothers who worked in catering. —Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 26 Apr. 2024

The report comes as Paramount — owner of Paramount Pictures, CBS, Paramount+ and cable channels like MTV and Comedy Central — has been in exclusive M&A talks with David Ellison’s Skydance Media the past two weeks. —Todd Spangler, Variety, 26 Apr. 2024

The old name was to honor owner Francis Ford Coppola’s passion for quantum mechanics and the new name continues to honor science, showcasing the relationship between wine and light. —Mike Desimone and Jeff Jenssen, Robb Report, 25 Apr. 2024

Tarrant County property owners now have until May 24 to protest the values of their homes. —Noah Alcala Bach, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Apr. 2024

The owner has replaced a cracked windshield and installed a new headliner and has only invested about $1,500 since purchase. —David Krumboltz, The Mercury News, 14 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English oȝener, ouner, owener, auner, perhaps continuing Old English āgnere, from āgnian "to own, possess" + -ere -er entry 2 — more at own entry 2

Note: Though this etymology is possible, there is a significant gap between the Old English noun and the first attestation of an owner etymon (oȝener in Dan Michel's Ayenbite of Inwyt, ca. 1340). The modern verb own is unattested before the late sixteenth century, so if the Middle English noun is a new formation, it must be a derivative of the adjective.

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing owner

• co-owner
• owner-occupied
• owner-occupier
• part owner
• slave owner

Legal Definition

owner

noun

own·​er

: one with an interest in and often dominion over property: as

a

: legal owner in this entry

b

: one with the right to exclusive use, control, or possession of property

c

: a purchaser under a contract for the sale of real property see also equitable owner in this entry

— beneficial owner

: one holding a beneficial interest in a trust compare beneficial interest at interest sense 1

: one enjoying the benefit of property of which another is the legal owner

was the beneficial owner of property held by the parent corporation

: one who has or shares the power to control the voting or investment of stock

was considered the beneficial owner of stock held by her minor children

— equitable owner

: one (as a beneficiary of a trust) who is considered to have rights or obligations of an owner regardless of legal title on the ground of equity

do not have legal title but, upon execution of the contract, they became equitable owners and have power to sue to protect their land

—Dessen v. Jones, 551 N.E.2d 782 (1990)

— legal owner

: one who has legal title to property

broadly : one determined by law to own property

— naked owner

in the civil law of Louisiana : an owner of property burdened by a usufruct

— record owner

: one who is the owner of property (as land or stock) according to current appropriate records

received a tax bill as record owner of the land

called also owner of record