Excerpt from John Salmond’s Jurisprudence (Glanville L. Williams ed., 10th ed. 1947):

     “Possession is the de facto exercise of a claim; ownership is the de jure recognition of one.  A thing is owned by me when my claim to it is maintained by the will of the state as expressed in the law; it is possessed by me, when my claim to it is maintained by my own self-assertive will.  Ownership is the guarantee of the law; possession is the guarantee of the facts. It is well to have both forms if possible; and indeed they normally co-exist.” [3]

owner:
(bef. 12c)

1. Someone who has the right to possess, use. and convey something; a person In whom one or more interests are vested.  *  An owner may have complete property in the thing or may have parted with some interests in it (as by granting an easement or making a lease).  

1. One who has complete dominion over particular property. 42 Am J1st Prop § 37.

The person in whom the legal or equitable title rests. Anno: 2 ALR 779, s. 95 ALR 1086.

In common understanding, the person who, in case of the destruction of property, must sustain the loss. 42 Am J1sst Prop § 37.

As the meaning of “owner” as used in statues relating to eh assessment and collection of taxes, see Anno: 2 ALR 792.

As to the meaning of the word “owner” as used in statutes penalizing unlawful cutting of timerber, see Anno: 2 ALR 799.

As to the maning of the term “owner” as used in statutes declaring who may redeem from sale under execution, see Anno: 2 ALR 794.

As to the meaning of “owner” as used in real property stattues, see Anno: 2 ALR 778.

As to the meaning of the term “owner” as used in statutes relating to trespass or forcible entry and detainer, see Anno: 2 ALR 798. [2]

1. A person who has title to property and dominion over it.
     See coownership; part owner; reputed owner; riparian owner. [3]

Related Terms:

dominion – ownership and control , or control and possession .

• control – power or authority to manage, direct, or oversee, or physical retention of possession of an item or its maintenance in a secure place.
• possession – detention or use of a physical thing with intent to hold it as one’s own; asserting dominion.

domain – an estate in land by one who has paramount title and unqualified ownership , or the land itself rather than the ownership and control thereof.

• public domain – government-owned land, or a composition, devise, or process so well known and in such common use, or explicitly dedicated, so as not to be patentable.
• eminent domain – the power of a government to authorize the taking of private property for a public use or public purpose without the owner’s consent, conditioned upon the payment of a just compensation.

interest – all or part of a legal or equitable claim to or right in property; a share, claim, or title.

• estate – the amount, degree, nature, and quality of a person’s interest in property, usually “real estate interest which may become possessory.”

Unqualified (Absolute) Ownership
and related terms:

unqualified ownership – absolute ownership with no limitations or qualification placed on it.

corporeal ownership – actual and complete ownership of land or chattels with the right to use and control.

perfect ownership – the complete bundle of rights to use, enjoy, and dispose of property without limitation. — aka full ownership; complete ownership.

nested ownership – wherein the title is perfect; absolute ownership.

Various Conditions of Ownership:

cross ownership – ownership by a single person or entity of two or more related businesses such that the owner can control competition.

contingent ownership – wherein title is imperfect but is capable of becoming perfect on the fulfillment of some condition.

Various Forms of Qualified (Less Than Absolute) Ownership (Interest):

qualified ownership (interest) – shared, restricted to a particular use, or limited in the extent of its enjoyment; less than absolute ownership.

imperfect ownership – ownership party subject to a usufruct interest held by another. — aka naked ownership.

• usufruct -the right to the use, enjoyment, profits, and avails of property belonging to another.

ownership in common – shared by two or more persons whose interests are divisible, and, at death, pass to the dead owner’s heirs or successors.

public ownership – government owns at least 51% or controlling share of the company.

Legal Terms Pertaining Explicitly to Land Ownership:

charter land – “freehold land” held under royal charter or deed (generally for churches and leaders).

owner’s policy – a title-insurance policy covering the owner’s title as well as the mortgagee’s interest (real estate).

Property Transfers – related terms:

bonitary ownership – a type of equitable ownership recognized by the praetor when the property was conveyed by an informal transfer, or by a formal transfer by one who is not the true owner.

Without Controlling Interest:

incorporeal ownership – ownership interest in land or chattels without the right to use or control, as with mineral rights.

stakeholder – someone who has an interest or concern in a business or enterprise, though not necessarily as an owner, and whose interest may possibly be contested.