possess
verb (used with object)
to have as belonging to one; have as property; own.
has possessed
-
present perfectof possess (3rd person singular).present perfect
Used to describe actions that started in the past and continue into or have direct relevance to the present.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Adams, 6 feet 1 and 204 pounds, said he has possessed “a nose for the end zone,” since his college days at Fresno State.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 9, 2026
No one else in the sport’s recent history has possessed such a knack for driving fans, administrators and executives completely mad.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 25, 2025
To this end, no one has possessed as much unfulfilled promise in carrying the Black celebrity activism torch as Kendrick Lamar.
From Salon ● Oct. 18, 2025
He dances like the music has possessed him, convulsing and shaking while his dreadlocks flail.
From BBC ● Jan. 25, 2024
A great deal of verse that is nothing but words has, during the war, been sympathetically sighed over and cut out of newspaper corners, because it has possessed a certain simple melody.
From Views and Reviews by Henry James
