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
- nonpossessed adjective
- possessedly adverb
- possessedness noun
- unpossessed adjective
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.
Helicopters, dog squads and reinforcements from New Zealand were dispatched to help track Freeman, who reportedly possessed strong bushcraft and outdoor survival skills.
From Barron's • Mar. 30, 2026
They are manufactured exclusively by the Lockheed Martin and RTX Corp. for the U.S. military and cannot be legally possessed or sold to the public unless demilitarized.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 29, 2026
For the first time in their history, the English possessed, in their own hands and in their native tongue, the entire New Testament.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026
Most have come with Wilson's left foot too, a source of magic akin to the one Bale possessed.
From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026
Towards morning I was possessed by a kind of nightmare; I felt the fiend’s grasp in my neck and could not free myself from it; groans and cries rang in my ears.
From "Frankenstein" by Mary Shelley
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.
