owner

noun

own·er | \ ˈō-nər

plural owners

Definition of owner

: 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

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Examples of owner in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The market is being organized by Lindsey Taylor, a flower and garden designer and former Martha Stewart Living editor, and Joseph Fratesi, a co-owner of the furniture firm Atlas Industries. — Ingrid Abramovitch, ELLE Decor, "This Hudson Valley Craft Market Will Jumpstart Your Garden," 9 May 2019 Of course, as a business owner, West is acutely aware that the point of a business is to turn a profit. — Cotton Codinha, Allure, "7 Influential People on Environmental Advocacy in the Beauty Industry," 22 Apr. 2019 Mario Segale, the Seattle real estate and construction business owner who inspired the name for Nintendo's famous mascot, passed away on October 27 according to reports from The Seattle Times and The Auburn Reporter. — Kyle Orland, Ars Technica, "Mario Segale, namesake for Nintendo’s mascot, dies at 84," 2 Nov. 2018 Business owners may want to follow suit and add parking for non-car patrons as well. — Alissa Walker, Curbed, "How bike advocate Katie Deolloz gets around Austin," 19 Oct. 2018 President Trump visited Ohio on Saturday for a roundtable discussion with small-business owners about the recent GOP tax cuts. — Joseph Weber, Fox News, "In Ohio, Trump touts GOP tax cuts ahead of key primaries next week," 2 Oct. 2018 Meredith and Olivia would be touched—if cats gave AF about what their owners thought of them. — Kayleigh Roberts, Marie Claire, "Taylor Swift Says She Went to "Cat School" for Her Role in the 'Cats' Movie," 27 Apr. 2019 There are three key stages in the life of an AirPods owner. — Jason Gay, WSJ, "The Trouble With AirPods," 5 Apr. 2019 Great Day: An owner presents a car with a drivability problem that won’t code (there’s no stored diagnostic trouble code). — Roy Berendsohn, Popular Mechanics, "How to Become a Skilled Tradesperson," 13 Mar. 2019

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.

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Statistics for owner

Last Updated

23 May 2019

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Time Traveler for owner

The first known use of owner was before the 12th century

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More Definitions for owner

beneficial owner

noun

Financial Definition of beneficial owner

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

noun

English Language Learners Definition of owner

: a person or group that owns something

See the full definition for owner in the English Language Learners Dictionary

owner

noun

own·er | \ ˈō-nər\

Kids Definition of owner

: a person who owns something

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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 sense 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 received a tax bill as record owner of the land

— called also owner of record