owner

noun own·er \ ˈō-nər \

|Updated on: 15 Aug 2018

Definition of owner

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

See owner defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of owner from the Web

The school picked this charity because its owner, Sheryl Nelson, lost her grandparents and her mom to this disease.

— michelle mullins, Elgin Courier-News, "Elgin News Digest," 13 July 2018
Our owners decided with our pizza chef to celebrate the Portuguese star ...

— daniella matar, chicagotribune.com, "Ronaldo mania inspires 'CR7' ice cream, pizza," 13 July 2018
The Sun is considered friendly ground for Mr. Trump because of its owner, Rupert Murdoch, the magnate who also oversees Fox News.

— New York Times, "‘Fake News’ Goes Global as Trump, in Britain, Rips the Press," 13 July 2018
The island, protected as a state park, also has historical stone structures constructed by its former owner, a wealthy inventor, in the early 20th century.

— chelsey lewis, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "8 spectacular Lake Michigan lighthouses to visit in Wisconsin," 12 July 2018
Now, the managers told the Anchorage Daily News the memorabilia will likely go back to its owner, and residents will have to find their movies another way.

— abigail abrams, Time, "There Will Only Be 1 Blockbuster in America Soon," 12 July 2018
Jesse Harris III and Tiffany Griffin Harris named KiddieGarden Childcare, its owner and an employee as defendants.

— mark alesia, Indianapolis Star, "Parents of baby injured at daycare file lawsuit alleging he was 'beaten or attacked'," 12 July 2018
Those are partnerships, sole proprietorships, limited liability companies and S corporations, and their owners pay their business taxes through their individual tax returns.

— richard rubin, WSJ, "U.S. Government Revenues Drop in Wake of Tax Cuts," 12 July 2018
Koster said a new rental will be contracted for Oak Valley and the Stone Ranch buildings returned to their owner.

— elizabeth marie himchak, Pomerado News, "Two 4S Ranch campuses to get new classrooms," 12 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'owner.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of owner

before 12th century

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

owner Synonyms

Financial Definition of OWNER

beneficial owner

noun

What It Is

The beneficial owner is the individual or entity that enjoys the benefits of owning an asset, regardless of whose name the title of the property or security is in.

How It Works

Beneficial ownership commonly refers to two situations:

1. Under U.S. securities law, a beneficial owner enjoys either sole or shared power regarding voting rights in a stock. According to the SEC, this right extends to include stock or securities owned by one person even if the title is held by another person or entity.
2. Beneficial ownership can also refer to a situation where an individual or entity holds the right of ownership even if the stock is registered with another entity, such as a brokerage house. In this case, while the brokerage firm is actually shown as the holder of the security, the investor is the beneficial owner.

For example, Bob buys 100 shares of stock in Company ABC via a brokerage house. Even though the stock is recorded under the broker's name, Bob is the beneficial owner.

Why It Matters

Beneficial ownership is a convenient and safe way of owning stock, especially for investors who want to hold securities without the responsibilities of voting or becoming involved in corporate actions.

To learn more about the best brokers for beginner investors, check out 6 Low Commission Brokers that Make Our Cut. If you're looking for brokers with more advanced trading platforms, click here to read Essential Trade Tools for the Advanced Investor.

Source: Investing Answers

OWNER Defined for Kids

owner

noun own·er \ ˈō-nər \

Definition of owner for Students

: a person who owns something

Law Dictionary

owner

noun own·er

legal Definition of owner

: 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

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

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

was the beneficial owner of property held by the parent corporation

3 : 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