possess
Americanverb (used with object)
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possesses,
present (3rd person singular)
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possessed,
past participle, past
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possessing
present participle
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to have as belonging to one; have as property; own.
to possess a house and a car.
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to have as a faculty, quality, or the like.
to possess courage.
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(of a spirit, especially an evil one) to occupy, dominate, or control (a person) from within.
He thought he was possessed by devils.
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(of a feeling, idea, etc.) to dominate or actuate in the manner of such a spirit.
He was possessed by envy.
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(of a man) to succeed in having sexual intercourse with.
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to have knowledge of.
to possess a language.
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to keep or maintain (oneself, one's mind, etc.) in a certain state, as of peace, patience, etc.
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to maintain control over (oneself, one's mind, etc.).
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to impart to; inform; familiarize (often followed by of orwith ).
to possess someone of the facts of the case.
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to cause to be dominated or influenced, as by an idea, feeling, etc.
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to make (someone) owner, holder, or master, as of property, information, etc..
He possessed them of the facts.
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to seize or take.
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to gain or win.
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to occupy or hold.
verb
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to have as one's property; own
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to have as a quality, faculty, characteristic, etc
to possess good eyesight
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to have knowledge or mastery of
to possess a little French
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to gain control over or dominate
whatever possessed you to act so foolishly?
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(foll by of) to cause to be the owner or possessor
I am possessed of the necessary information
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(often foll by with) to cause to be influenced or dominated (by)
the news possessed him with anger
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to have sexual intercourse with
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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
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archaic to gain or seize
Synonym Usage
See have.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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possesssimple
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possessessimple
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have possessedperfect
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has possessedperfect
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am possessingprogressive
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are possessingprogressive
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is possessingprogressive
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have been possessingperfect progressive
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has been possessingperfect progressive
Past
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possessedsimple
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had possessedperfect
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was possessingprogressive
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were possessingprogressive
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had been possessingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of possess
First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English possesen, from Middle French possess(i)er, noun derived from possession possession
Explanation
To possess something is to have or own it. You can possess a physical object, you can possess a particular quality or skill, or you can possess control or influence over someone. Related words are possessive (describing those who hold onto people or things in a controlling way), and possessed, as in a person being possessed by an idea or even by a demon. This verb is from Middle French posséder "to own," from Latin possidēre, from potis "able, having the power" plus sedēre "to sit."
Vocabulary lists containing possess
The SAT: Language of the Test, List 6
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Christmas Carol Vocab: A Lyrical Lexicon
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The New SAT: The Language of the Test
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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.
See Examples For:
“Working-class women might not be fighting for a cause with words, time, and money they don’t have,” Smarsh wrote, “but they possess an unsurpassed wisdom about the way gender works in the world.”
From Salon ● Aug. 25, 2026
"This requires them to possess a certain level of intelligence."
From Barron's ● Aug. 19, 2026
Organisms older than 500 million years did not yet possess shells or skeletons.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 17, 2026
The decision reflects internal findings that the upcoming “Astra” model may possess “critical cyber capabilities” and follows a string of AI-testing incidents.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026
But Moody did not possess Lexie’s warmth, Trip’s roguish charm, Izzy’s self-confidence.
From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng
They can reveal which genes an animal possesses without showing exactly where those genes are positioned along its chromosomes.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 25, 2026
I have spent five decades trading on a simple premise: Markets aggregate information no committee possesses, and prices are how that information reaches decision makers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026
"South Korea has been a solid military ally for over 70 years that possesses exquisite military capabilities," Tillis wrote on X.
From Barron's ● Aug. 17, 2026
Gakpo possesses the technical quality, close control and positional intelligence to perform that role while also providing cover on the left.
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
Finally, with the last bit of energy Camille possesses, she lifts her arm and flings her cell phone straight across the kitchen.
From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller
Brown, 35, had denied murder with a special defence that he was suffering from a mental disorder at the time and believed he had been possessed by the spirit of 19th Century occultist Aleister Crowley.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
But it will probably take years for Bronin to acquire the credibility on Social Security that Larson possessed, even assuming that he wishes to do so.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026
What on Earth possessed Nolan, a notoriously detail-oriented director, to tap the all-purpose flour of movie stars to portray one of the most storied heroes in literature?
From Salon ● Aug. 2, 2026
Earlier in its evolutionary history, the organism appears to have possessed two eyes or at least two groups of cells capable of detecting light.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 26, 2026
She was glad he could not see her blush; what had possessed her to leave the house in her nightdress?
From "The Unseen Guest" by Maryrose Wood
If a relatively simple machine can produce behavior that looks intentional without possessing a decision-making system, could human behavior also appear to result from centralized decisions even if no such central process exists?
From Science Daily ● Aug. 25, 2026
York, 45, pleaded no contest to charges of disorderly conduct and possessing criminal tools, Columbiana County Municipal Court records show.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2026
It extolled “the enjoyment of life and liberty, with the means of acquiring and possessing property, and pursuing and obtaining happiness and safety.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 2026
The government did not allege that he was intoxicated while possessing the firearm, that he was addicted to marijuana, that he had ever threatened anyone, or that his gun ownership had resulted in any danger.
From Slate ● Jun. 26, 2026
Having wiped out these leaders, and having reduced their partisans to his allies, the Duke had laid very good foundations for his power, possessing all of the Romagna along with the Duchy of Urbino.
From "The Prince" by Niccolò Machiavelli
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.
