ownership

noun

own·​er·​ship ˈō-nər-ˌship 

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

McDonald’s is buying the franchise that sparked global boycotts by offering free meals to Israeli forces shortly after the start of the Israel-Gaza war, taking ownership of its 225 stores. —Frances Vinall, Washington Post, 5 Apr. 2024

Prince even dropped his long-standing grudge against record labels and let Columbia distribute and help market the LP, declining an advance but maintaining full ownership of the LP. —Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 5 Apr. 2024

One proposal was to disband the A’s and have Oakland ownership take over ownership of the Angels. —Michael Nowels, The Mercury News, 4 Apr. 2024

Older children can take even more ownership in shaping these conversations. —Sarah Klein, TIME, 4 Apr. 2024

He had been arraigned in a Manhattan court in what prosecutors said was a blatant, persistent scheme to take ownership of the once-grand New Yorker Hotel in Midtown. —Matthew Haag, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2024

Finland enjoys a strong tradition of hunting and its gun ownership rates are among the highest in the world, but school shootings are extremely rare. —Alexandra Banner, CNN, 2 Apr. 2024

The music giant also denied having any ownership stake in Combs' Love Records label, for which Jones worked for about a year. —Michael Ruiz, Fox News, 2 Apr. 2024

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

Word History

Etymology

owner + -ship

First Known Use

1583, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing ownership

• cross-ownership
• home ownership

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