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.
He possessed the rare courage to challenge systems and programs that fostered dependence rather than truly empowering the people they aimed to help.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 26, 2026
The new mosasaur was larger, possessed finely serrated teeth rarely seen in mosasaurs, and came from a different place and time period.
From Science Daily • May 23, 2026
Devices became continuous producers of information, and technology companies realized that information itself possessed enormous economic value.
From Slate • May 20, 2026
He had a wonderful self-deprecating humour but when game-day came he was like a man possessed.
From BBC • May 17, 2026
She possessed approximately half the number of teeth that one might expect to see in a person’s mouth.
From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood
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.
