possessed
Americanadjective
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spurred or moved by a strong feeling, madness, or a supernatural power (often followed by by, of, orwith ).
The army fought as if possessed. The village believed her to be possessed of the devil.
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self-possessed; poised.
idioms
adjective
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(foll by of) owning or having
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(usually postpositive) under the influence of a powerful force, such as a spirit or strong emotion
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a less common word for self-possessed
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of possessed
Explanation
Someone who's possessed is completely controlled by some force. If you've ever seen a crazed sports fan screaming with joy for the winning team, you've seen a person possessed with team spirit. While possessed is the past tense of the verb possess, to have, it most often describes someone who's obsessed with something. The controlling force can be an emotion, like when your friend is possessed by her infatuation with her favorite pop star. It can also be a supernatural power or demon — possessed describes someone you believe is truly controlled by an evil spirit, or someone who just acts that way.
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.
Both of those professions require analytical thinking - a gift Bielsa also possessed from childhood.
From BBC • Jun. 4, 2026
His father was a teacher who possessed a sarcastic and ironic sense of humor that he passed down to both Ittai and his brother, Kim.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026
One possibility was that the outer rocky planet had once possessed a thick atmosphere that was later blasted away by a collision with a massive asteroid, comet, or another large object.
From Science Daily • May 21, 2026
Devices became continuous producers of information, and technology companies realized that information itself possessed enormous economic value.
From Slate • May 20, 2026
The Second Grinnell Expedition’s “intrepid” crew was under the leadership of what New York’s Daily Herald called, “the indefatigable perseverance and indomitable courage” possessed by its thirty-three-year-old naval surgeon and commander.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
