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
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.
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
In fact, in the last 20 years, 1,047 teams had possessed the football with a lead and less than 10 seconds left.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 20, 2026
The elderly Douglass insisted that the country needed not new founding principles but the diligent application of those principles it already possessed without distinctions of race, sex, color or religion.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026
Detailed analysis showed that C. praecursor possessed an ovipositor and a terminal caudal filament.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 27, 2026
Washington was an inherently stiff and formal man who cultivated aloofness and possessed distancing mechanisms second to none.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
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.
