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 plant has permits to extract more than 300,000 gallons of water a day as part of a decades-old deal with the federal government that critics say is overly favorable to the plant’s owners. — Oscar Lopez, BostonGlobe.com, "In Mexican town, Coca-Cola is everywhere, and so is diabetes," 14 July 2018 Current events remain en vogue, meaning Chargers owner Dean Spanos suffered a team-name torching a year ago. — Bryce Miller, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Cover your ears: Over-the-Line evolves, but the raunchy team names remain," 14 July 2018 In what was once a steakhouse, El Puerto serves up Mexican food that’s fresh and never frozen, owner Saul Moya said. — Shonda Talerico Dudlicek, Lake County News-Sun, "El Puerto's menu is full of owner specialties," 13 July 2018 Companies like Wag! and Rover connect enthusiastic animal-aficionados with dog-owners interested in hiring people for day-to-day services like dog walks, or long-term services, like pet-sitting. — Alessandra Puccio /, NBC News, "Finding your (hidden) value," 13 July 2018 Milan have endured a complicated succession of off-field difficulties since the arrival of owner Yonghong Li and the subsequent splurge of big spending transfer activity last summer. — SI.com, "AC Milan Could Be Forced to Sell Captain Leonardo Bonucci Amid Club's FFP Woes," 13 July 2018 Plans by North DeKalb Mall’s owners to revamp the development are slowly making progress. — Joshua Sharpe, ajc, "What’s going on with plans to tear down, rebuild North DeKalb Mall?," 13 July 2018 So thank heavens Miami city commissioners agreed rather than simply open their wallets like their predecessors did for Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria. — Dave Hyde, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Hyde: MLS proposal is short on details, long on questions | Commentary," 13 July 2018 Cowboys owner Jerry Jones then came to Schnatter in a public defense. — Peter Dawson, star-telegram, "Report: Jerry Jones’ former corporate ally at Papa John’s resigns after using racial slur," 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.

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part owner

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Last Updated

10 Oct 2018

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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

own·er | \ˈō-nər\

Kids Definition of owner

: a person who owns something

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)