ENGLISH
REFERENCE

ownership

n. uncountable
B2 Upper Intermediate Oxford US //ˈoʊnɝˌʃɪp// UK //ˈəʊnəʃˌɪp// own·er·ship General-service

n. the state of legally having or possessing something. It means you are the person who has the right to use it or sell it.

n. the legal right to the possession of a thing; the state or fact of being an owner.


SIMPLE

The family celebrated their ownership of the new house.

CONTEXTUAL

The company is moving toward employee ownership to give the staff a greater stake in the firm's success.

COMPLEX

Disputes over land ownership often require extensive historical research to determine which party holds the original title and whether any subsequent transfers were legally binding.

Synonyms
Origin

From owner + -ship.

Usage

Often used with the verbs 'take', 'claim', or 'transfer'.

Pitfall

The ownership of the car belongs to meI have ownership of the carOwnership is the state of being an owner, not the object itself; you have ownership, but the car belongs to you.

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