Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

ownership

/ˈoʊnɚʃɪp/

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.40 in modern English

Syllables: own-er-ship
IPA: /ˈoʊnɚʃɪp/

17

Scrabble Score

9

Letters

3

Syllables

9

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

The state of having complete legal control of something; possession; proprietorship.

Countable; Uncountable

noun

Responsibility for or control over something.

Countable; Uncountable

Example Sentences

"Other evidence of former ownerships such as notice-boards, number plates, and makers' plates, are often discovered unexpectedly. […] It has not been used for many years, and although it was impracticable to photograph the engine in the small confines of the shed it was possible to obtain a picture of the plate which it still carries showing the former ownership."
"In the summer, DCC [Devon County Council] transferred ownership of the northern part of the station to NR for a nominal £1, enabling it (and the platform) to become part of the rail network."
"The successful candidate will take ownership of all internal design projects."

Etymology

Etymology tree Middle English ouner English owner Proto-Germanic *skapjaną Proto-Germanic *-skapiz Proto-West Germanic *-skapi Old English -sċiepe Middle English -schipe English -ship English ownership From owner + -ship.

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈoʊnɚʃɪp/
British English: /ˈəʊnəʃɪp/

Usage

Inflected Forms

ownerships (plural)

Derived Forms

antiownership homeownership interownership nonownership

Phrases

absentee ownership community ownership co-ownership cross-ownership holiday ownership home ownership multi-ownership ownership equity

Synonyms

owndom ownership possession proprietorship propriety

Antonyms

nonownership nonpossession

Questions

How do you pronounce ownership?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈoʊnɚʃɪp/.
What does ownership mean?: The state of having complete legal control of something; possession; proprietorship.
Where does ownership come from?: Etymology tree Middle English ouner English owner Proto-Germanic *skapjaną Proto-Germanic *-skapiz Proto-West Germanic *-skapi Old English -sċiepe Middle English -schipe English -ship English ownership From owner + -ship.

How to pronounce ownership

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “ownership”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈoʊnɚʃɪp/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “ownership”.
Repeat and practice — Say “ownership” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.