of, pertaining to, or belonging to oneself or itself (usually used after a possessive to emphasize the idea of ownership, interest, or relation conveyed by the possessive): He spent only his own money.
2.
(used as an intensifier to indicate oneself as the sole agent of some activity or action, prec. by a possessive): He insists on being his own doctor.
–verb (used with object)
3.
to have or hold as one's own; possess: They own several homes.
4.
to acknowledge or admit: to own a fault.
5.
to acknowledge as one's own; recognize as having full claim, authority, power, dominion, etc.: He owned his child before the entire assembly. They owned the king as their lord.
–verb (used without object)
6.
to confess (often fol. by to, up, or up to): The one who did it had better own up. I own to being uncertain about that.
—Idioms
7.
come into one's own,
a.
to take possession of that which is due or owed one.
b.
to receive the recognition that one's abilities merit: She finally came into her own as a sculptor of the first magnitude.
8.
get one's own back, to get revenge and thereby a sense of personal satisfaction, as for a slight or a previous setback; get even with somebody or something: He saw the award as a way of getting his own back for all the snubs by his colleagues.
9.
hold one's own,
a.
to maintain one's position or condition: The stock market seems to be holding its own these days.
b.
to be equal to the opposition: He can hold his own in any fight.
10.
of one's own, belonging to oneself: She had never had a room of her own.
11.
on one's own,
a.
by dint of one's own efforts, resources, or sense of responsibility; independently: Because she spoke the language, she got around the country very well on her own.
b.
living or functioning without dependence on others; independent: My son's been on his own for several years.
[Origin: bef. 900; (adj.) ME owen, OE āgen (c. G eigen, ON eigenn), orig. ptp. of āgan to possess (see owe); (v.) ME ownen, OE āgnian, āhnian, deriv. of āgen]
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