ownership

noun

own·​er·​ship ˈō-nər-ˌship How to pronounce ownership (audio)
1
: the state, relation, or fact of being an owner
2
: a group or organization of owners

Examples of ownership in a Sentence

The company is under private ownership.
Recent Examples on the Web Riddle thinks tiny houses could help bridge the racial wealth gap by making home ownership possible for many families who can’t otherwise afford it. J.m. Banks, Kansas City Star, 24 Mar. 2024 Here is why: Title insurance in California is an insurance policy that safeguards both the buyer and the lender against financial losses resulting from unexpected ownership issues related to a property. Pat Kapowich, The Mercury News, 23 Mar. 2024 Acquiring Everton would give 777, co-led by Steven Pasko and Josh Wander, ownership of one of the most storied clubs in England. David Hellier, Fortune, 23 Mar. 2024 In 1902, Colts ownership placed sporting bets with opposing team owners. Richard Selcer, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Mar. 2024 The lawsuit, filed Thursday, accuses Apple of stifling competition and leveraging its clout and ownership of the popular App Store to increase prices for customers. Wendy Lee, Los Angeles Times, 21 Mar. 2024 The new Neue Klasse philosophy aims to rein that in whilst also setting out a plan for an entirely new generation of all-electric BMWs—cars that supposedly will reimagine every aspect of the driving and ownership experience. Jason Barlow, WIRED, 21 Mar. 2024 The 2018 deal gave Gilbert's organization the unfinished jail site for a $21.3 million purchase price, plus future ownership of the county's Frank Murphy Hall of Justice, juvenile detention center and the Division I and Division II jail sites. Detroit Free Press, 21 Mar. 2024 The contract states that owners who sell the EV within the first year of ownership might not ever be able to buy one of the company’s vehicles again. Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 12 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ownership.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

owner + -ship

First Known Use

1583, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of ownership was in 1583

Dictionary Entries Near ownership

Cite this Entry

“Ownership.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ownership. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Legal Definition

ownership

noun
own·​er·​ship
: the state, relation, or fact of being an owner
also : the rights or interests of an owner
absolute ownership
: ownership especially by a single person that is free of any encumbrances or limitations other than statutory law compare fee simple absolute at fee simple
ostensible ownership \ ä-​ˈsten-​sə-​bəl-​ \
: ownership that is apparent rather than actual and that sometimes is recognized in cases of purchase of the property by an innocent third party a dispute arising from the dealer's ostensible ownership and sale of the collateral

Note: A purchaser from a person with ostensible ownership of property may be able to defeat the claim to the property of the actual owner who created the ostensible ownership.

ownership in indivision
in the civil law of Louisiana : ownership by two or more persons each having undivided shares in the property as a whole compare community property at property
qualified ownership
: ownership that is limited by time, the interest of another party, or restrictions on the use of the property had only qualified ownership of the fish and game on his property due to state restrictions
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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