own
oʊn
Definition Synonyms Conjugation

Definition of own - Reverso English Dictionary

Adjective

1.
possessionbelonging to a specific person or thing
  • This is my own car.
individual personal
2.
independent actiondone without any help from others
  • He built the treehouse on his own.
independent self-reliant

Verb

tr.
1.
ownershiphave legal possession of something
  • She owns a beautiful house by the lake.
hold possess retain
2.
responsibilitytake responsibility for something
  • She owned her role in the project.
accept acknowledge
3.
acknowledgmentacknowledge or admit something
  • He owned his mistake during the meeting.
acknowledge admit
Add a suggestion |

Expressions with own

💡 Discover popular phrases, idioms, collocations, or phrasal verbs. Click any expression to learn more, listen to its pronunciation, or save it to your favorites.
goal scored accidentally for the opposing team
He scored an own goal during the match.
admit responsibility for a mistake or wrongdoing
She decided to own up to her mistake.
status or position achieved independently
She is a successful artist in her own right..
without company
I prefer eating on my own when I need a quiet break..
without anyone else present
He spent the evening on his own.
in a way that suits one's speed
She completed the course at her own pace.

Origin of own

Old English, agan (possess)

Terms with own included in their meaning

💡 A powerful way to uncover related words, idioms, and expressions linked by the same idea — and explore meaning beyond exact word matches.
ownership
possess or own something
owners
people who own or manage farms
possession
possess or own something
child adoption
legally taken as one's own child
location
located outside one's own country or place
itselfpron.
reflexive
thing as the object of its own action
city area
part of a city or town with its own character
regional unit
division within a country with its own government

Examples of own in a sentence

  • He brought his own lunch to work.
  • She completed the project on her own.
  • The child learned to tie his shoes on his own.
  • They own several vintage cars in their collection.
  • He plans to own a business someday.
  • He needs to own his mistakes to move forward.

View all translations of own

Click below to see the appropriate translations facing each meaning.
  1. French:propre, posséder, ...
  2. German:eigen, besitzen, ...
  3. Italian:proprio, possedere, ...
  4. Spanish:propio, poseer, ...
  5. Portuguese:próprio, possuir, ...
  6. Chinese:自己的, 拥有, ...
  7. Japanese:自分の, 所有する, ...
  8. Arabic:خَاصّ, مَلَكَ, ...
  9. Hebrew:עַצְמִי, לִהְיוֹת בְּעָלִים שֶׁל, ...
  10. Russian:собственный, владеть, ...
  11. Ukrainian:власний, володіти, ...
  12. Hindi:अपना, स्वामित्व होना, ...

Discover how Reverso redefines the dictionary

Go beyond “simple words”

Get more than a simple definition

Go from understanding to mastery