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:
Maduro has denied the charges he originally faced: "narco-terrorism" conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, possession of machine guns and destructive devices as well as conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices.
From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2026
Abandoned mine lands, closed power plants and vacant industrial sites already possess what developers pay a premium for: existing transmission infrastructure, water rights and large, contiguous tracts of land.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026
Step around, and potentially inside, awe-inspiring vehicles from the film, or come face-to-face with the Bene Gesserit, a group of priestesses who possess, among other things, the ability to bend the will of others.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 30, 2026
They found that mammalian cells possess an alternative chemical route.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 25, 2026
Those are skills I believe every girl should possess.
From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan
But it also possesses long, continuously growing incisors and several distinctive skull features seen in zalambdalestoids, a group of small, shrew-like insectivore mammals.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 28, 2026
Unlike Haaland, who is a specialist goalscorer, Joao Pedro has played as a midfielder, number 10 and winger during his career and possesses a more rounded skillset.
From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026
"Markets aggregate information no committee possesses, and prices are how that information reaches decision makers," Druckenmiller said in a Wall Street Journal op-ed last month.
From Barron's ● Sep. 9, 2026
By statute, the FHA possesses permanent and indefinite budget authority with the U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026
The fairy possesses a weak brand of magic that it may use to deter predators, such as the Augurey.
From "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" by J.K. Rowling
The plea agreement referenced at least two other victims, including one identified as E.Z., who Iza believed possessed a laptop containing large amount of cryptocurrency.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 5, 2026
The letter said automotive suppliers already possessed many of the capabilities needed to support aircraft, defence equipment and military vehicles, but warned firms needed help to make the transition.
From BBC ● Sep. 20, 2026
Over the next 22 months he hunted them like a man possessed.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026
That distinction has influenced ideas about whether the human-chimpanzee ancestor should have possessed feet more like those of modern apes or monkeys.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 31, 2026
She used muscles she hadn’t known she possessed.
From "A Girl Named Disaster" by Nancy Farmer
Known as an abyssal species, it slothfully trawls the shadows like some mournful Lovecraftian being, possessing an especially sluggish metabolism, which isn’t surprising considering its size.
From Salon ● Oct. 9, 2026
In 2020, North Korea made possessing foreign media a crime punishable by years-long forced labour terms –- and potential death sentences for large-scale distribution, according to Amnesty International.
From Barron's ● Sep. 28, 2026
In a plea deal, the original charge was reduced to disorderly conduct and possessing criminal tools - thought to refer to the phone used to reply to the advert.
From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026
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
He is good with his hands and good with his men, "possessing an iron will as well as an iron frame," according to his doctor.
From "Phineas Gage" by John Fleischman
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.
