owner

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noun own·er \ ˈō-nər \

Updated on: 11 Sep 2017

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 owners of Barcade, who opened their first location, in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, in 2004, have been credited with kicking off the whole trend—

— brittany martin, Los Angeles Magazine, "Barcade Is Opening in L.A., and Our Joystick Thumbs Are Trembling," 30 Aug. 2017
OK, so most owners of professional sports franchises make Spanos look poor in comparison.

— kevin acee, sandiegouniontribune.com, "San Diego's new team comes with new owner, new attitude," 29 Aug. 2017
On May 5, 2016, the vessel’s owner reported to St. Maarten police the theft of several tubes containing silver and gold coins that were located on board.

— by david goodhue, miamiherald, "His wife is missing, and now he’s in trouble over missing coins," 29 Aug. 2017
The restaurant owners at Mrs Winner’s called police when the pair began to act suspicious after a string of robberies at other fast-food restaurants. - At the time of the murders, Blakely was the youngest woman in Georgia to face the death penalty.

— ashley stoney, Essence.com, "Who Is The Real Falicia Blakely? Here Are Six Things To Know," 29 Aug. 2017
All dogs must be up to date on their vaccines and be accompanied by their owners at all times.

— kirby adams, The Courier-Journal, "With summer almost over, dogs welcome to swim at these Louisville pools," 28 Aug. 2017
The business owner said everything in the area was likely to be closed at the time when the shooting was reported.

— andy marso, kansascity, "Shooting victim found dead in Kansas City, North, clothing store," 26 Aug. 2017
While Chef Daniel Humm, co-owner Will Guidara, and their team migrated to East Hampton to run the EMP Summer House pop-up restaurant, construction crews have been working to renovate the Michelin three-star restaurant.

— sam dangremond, Town & Country, "Eleven Madison Park Is Reopening in October," 25 Aug. 2017
Per Cape Cod’s National Seashore Facebook page, the board’s owner wasn’t bitten or hurt himself.

— tess koman, Cosmopolitan, "Multiple Shark Sightings Reported Near Cape Cod in 1 Week," 23 Aug. 2017

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

owner Synonyms

Synonyms

holder, proprietor, possessor

Related Words

co-owner, coproprietor; landlord, landowner

Near Antonyms

squatter; lessee, renter, tenant

Financial Definition of OWNER

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