English Reference
noun

ownership

n.
US /ˈoʊnɝˌʃɪp/ UK /ˈəʊnəʃˌɪp/ own·er·ship UK spelling ownerships

  1. 01 B2 Upper Intermediate Law

    the state of legally owning something, like a house, a car, or a company.

    the state or fact of legal possession and proprietorship. Uncountable in its abstract sense, though it can be countable when referring to specific models of holding property.

    Simple

    The family has held ownership of the farm for over a hundred years.

    In context

    The dispute over the land's ownership lasted for decades, as neither party could produce the original deed from the nineteenth century.

    Usage

    Often used with the preposition 'of'.

    possessionproprietorshiptitle
  2. 02 B2 Upper Intermediate Academic Business

    taking responsibility for a task or a problem and making sure it is finished.

    the act of taking responsibility for an idea, project, or problem, often in a professional or psychological context.

    Simple

    The manager wants every team member to take ownership of their own projects.

    In context

    By giving employees more autonomy, the company encouraged them to take full ownership of the product development cycle.

    Usage

    Commonly used in the phrase 'to take ownership of'.

Usage car ownership

It requires that person to be deprived of ownership of the animal - to have it taken away - and for the animal to be disposed of.

BBC News· 14 Aug 2026

After being under government ownership until 2022, it was then taken over by the giant Tata Group.

BBC News· 10 Jun 2026

From owner + -ship.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Common
Updated