Final answer:
An OWNS-A association relationship is when a reference type X has another reference type Y as an instance variable, signifying that one object contains or 'owns' another as part of its state.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that best describes an OWNS-A association relationship is 'A reference type X that has another reference type Y as an instance variable'.
This means that within the class or structure of type X, there is a field or property that holds a reference to an instance of type Y. Contrary to inheritance, where a class extends the properties and behaviors of another class, an OWNS-A relationship implies composition or aggregation where one object 'owns' or 'contains' another object as part of its state.