possess

[ puh-zes ]

/ pəˈzɛs /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR possess ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object)

to have as belonging to one; have as property; own: to possess a house and a car.

to have as a faculty, quality, or the like: to possess courage.

(of a spirit, especially an evil one) to occupy, dominate, or control (a person) from within: He thought he was possessed by devils.

(of a feeling, idea, etc.) to dominate or actuate in the manner of such a spirit: He was possessed by envy.

(of a man) to succeed in having sexual intercourse with.

to have knowledge of: to possess a language.

to keep or maintain (oneself, one's mind, etc.) in a certain state, as of peace, patience, etc.

to maintain control over (oneself, one's mind, etc.).

to impart to; inform; familiarize (often followed by of or with): to possess someone of the facts of the case.

to cause to be dominated or influenced, as by an idea, feeling, etc.

to make (someone) owner, holder, or master, as of property, information, etc.: He possessed them of the facts.

to seize or take.

to gain or win.

to occupy or hold.

Origin of possess

1425–75; late Middle English possesen < Middle French possess(i)er, noun derivative of possession possession

synonym study for possess

1. See have.

OTHER WORDS FROM possess

pos·ses·sor, noun pos·ses·sor·ship, noun un·der·pos·ses·sor, noun un·pos·sess·ing, adjective

Words nearby possess

poss, poss., posse, posse comitatus, posser, possess, possessed, possessed by, possessed, the, possession, possession is nine points of the law

Example sentences from the Web for possess

That thing we seemed to possess was not the other, but an image of them we formed—they themselves are still free.

Owning Up to Possession’s Downside |Samantha Harvey |December 14, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
I know that many people do not feel they possess their partners and lovers.

Owning Up to Possession’s Downside |Samantha Harvey |December 14, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
The Fish and Wildlife officer told him that it was illegal to possess a protected species or a raptor.

He Faces Jail for Rescuing Baby Eagles |Michael Daly |November 2, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
We attribute his successes or failures to the presence or lack of some special sauce that he does or does not possess.

The Dems’ Midterm Performance Anxiety |Michael Tomasky |October 31, 2014 |DAILY BEAST

And it is conjecture, based on the sketchy bits of evidence we possess.

Is Brooklyn Becoming Unsafe for Gays? It Depends On Which Ones |Jay Michaelson |October 18, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
All the honours which a physician can possess I either enjoy, or have refused when they were offered to me.

Jerome Cardan |William George Waters
No one of the members of these four classes is known to possess vibratile cilia.

Marvels of Pond-life |Henry J. Slack
No man should allow himself to recommend another for qualities which he knows he does not possess.

The Book of Business Etiquette |Nella Henney
The senses are the only channels to the external world which we possess, and love must come through these channels or not at all.

Studies in the Psychology of Sex, Volume 6 (of 6) |Havelock Ellis
So often I borrow trouble and cannot use it, when the peace that I possess is all that I need.

Leaves of Life |Margaret Bird Steinmetz

British Dictionary definitions for possess

possess

/ (pəˈzɛs) /

verb (tr)

to have as one's property; own

to have as a quality, faculty, characteristic, etc to possess good eyesight

to have knowledge or mastery of to possess a little French

to gain control over or dominate whatever possessed you to act so foolishly?

(foll by of) to cause to be the owner or possessor I am possessed of the necessary information

(often foll by with) to cause to be influenced or dominated (by) the news possessed him with anger

to have sexual intercourse with

rare to keep control over or maintain (oneself or one's feelings) in a certain state or condition possess yourself in patience until I tell you the news

archaic to gain or seize

Derived forms of possess

possessor, noun

Word Origin for possess

C15: from Old French possesser, from Latin possidēre to own, occupy; related to Latin sedēre to sit

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

possess

verb (used with object)

Origin of possess

synonym study for possess

OTHER WORDS FROM possess

Words nearby possess

Example sentences from the Web for possess

British Dictionary definitions for possess

verb (tr)

Derived forms of possess

Word Origin for possess

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

possess

verb (used with object)

Origin of possess

synonym study for possess

OTHER WORDS FROM possess

Words nearby possess

Words related to possess

Example sentences from the Web for possess

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []) .push({}); British Dictionary definitions for possess

verb (tr)

Derived forms of possess

Word Origin for possess

British Dictionary definitions for possess