Synonyms of own

own

verb

as in to have

to keep, control, or experience as one's own

we own a modest house and an equally modest car

Synonyms & Similar Words

• have
• possess
• retain
• enjoy
• hold
• command
• keep
• carry
• reserve
• withhold
• rejoice in
• sport
• bear
• boast
• show off

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• want
• lack
• abandon
• relinquish
• renounce
• surrender
• yield
• need
• discard
• dump
• require
• reject
• disown
• hand over
• disclaim
• decline
• cede
• repudiate
• spurn

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb own contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of own are acknowledge, admit, avow, and confess. While all these words mean "to disclose against one's will or inclination," own implies acknowledging something in close relation to oneself.

must own I know little about computers

When can acknowledge be used instead of own?

Although the words acknowledge and own have much in common, acknowledge implies the disclosing of something that has been or might be concealed.

acknowledged an earlier peccadillo

When is it sensible to use admit instead of own?

While in some cases nearly identical to own, admit implies reluctance to disclose, grant, or concede and refers usually to facts rather than their implications.

admitted the project was over budget

Where would avow be a reasonable alternative to own?

The synonyms avow and own are sometimes interchangeable, but avow implies boldly declaring, often in the face of hostility, what one might be expected to be silent about.

avowed that he was a revolutionary

In what contexts can confess take the place of own?

In some situations, the words confess and own are roughly equivalent. However, confess may apply to an admission of a weakness, failure, omission, or guilt.

confessed a weakness for sweets

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of own

Federal prosecutors charged 22 people in the scheme that was operating out of the two restaurants owned by the Gerodemos family, Gino’s Steakhouse in Merrillville and Paragon in Hobart. —Meredith Colias-Pete, Chicago Tribune, 6 May 2026

Versace, which was previously owned by the multinational company Capri Holdings, which owns Michael Kors, is now back in the hands of Italians at a time when two great Italian designers—Giorgio Armani and Valentino Garavani—have died in the last year. —Marisa Meltzer, Vanity Fair, 6 May 2026

He is currently being treated in a hospital in Zurich and his wife is self-isolating as a precautionary measure, according to Oceanwide Expeditions, the company that owns the cruise ship. —Jessica Puckett, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 May 2026

The suspects fled in a black SUV, according to the Kaos Hospitality Group, which owns the restaurant. —Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 6 May 2026

Phrases Containing own

• by one's own bootstraps
• come into one's own
• of one's own accord
• on one's own
• on one's own hook
• on one's own initiative
• own (up to)
• own (up)