possession

American  

[puh-zesh-uhn] / pəˈzɛʃ ən /

noun

• possessions
  plural

1. 

   the act or fact of possessing.

   Synonyms:

   occupation, tenure

2. the state of being possessed.

3. ownership.

4. Law. actual holding or occupancy, either with or without rights of ownership.

5. a thing possessed.

   He packed all his possessions into one trunk.

6. possessions, property or wealth.

7. a territorial dominion of a state.

8. Sports.

   1. physical control of the ball or puck by a player or team.

      He didn't have full possession when he was tackled.

   2. the right of a team to put the ball into play.

      They had possession after the other team sank a free throw.

9. control over oneself, one's mind, etc.

10. domination, actuation, or obsession by a feeling, idea, etc.

11. the feeling or idea itself.

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possession British  

/ pəˈzɛʃən /

noun

1. the act of possessing or state of being possessed

   in possession of the crown

2. anything that is owned or possessed

3. (plural) wealth or property

4. the state of being controlled or dominated by or as if by evil spirits

5. the physical control or occupancy of land, property, etc, whether or not accompanied by ownership

   to take possession of a house

6. a territory subject to a foreign state or to a sovereign prince

   colonial possessions

7. sport control of the ball, puck, etc, as exercised by a player or team

   he lost possession in his own half

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Synonym Usage

See custody.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonpossession
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• possessions
  plural

Etymology

Origin of possession

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, from Latin possessiōn-, stem of possessiō “occupancy, act of occupying,” from possess(us) “occupied” (past participle of possidēre “to have in one's control, occupy,” from pos-, combining form of pot(is) “able” + -sidēre, combining form of sedēre “to sit”) + -iō -ion; see also host ¹, sit ¹

Explanation

A possession is something that belongs to you. If you've got a special rubber ducky, that’s one of your possessions, and it may even be your prized possession. Possession is all about control: if you have possession of something, you own it, or have your hands on it. If your house keys are in your possession, you know where they are. In soccer being in possession means having control of the ball; in hockey, it’s having your stick on the puck. A possession can also be a territory controlled by another government, as Puerto Rico is a possession of the United States.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

possession possessions

Local media say Hanning's alleged possession of intelligence documents came to light during a separate case relating to German steakhouse heiress Christina Block.

From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026

The case arises out of a mundane fact pattern: Kendrick Beaird pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

From Slate ● Oct. 6, 2026

Besides his unconventional path to becoming a Green Lantern, Stewart is in possession of a unique lantern for recharging his ring that was forged by Sinestro, Jordan’s disgraced mentor.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 5, 2026

ABC News, citing senior intelligence and law enforcement officials familiar with the investigation, reported the suspect had allegedly been found in possession of extremist materials while a trainee.

From Barron's ● Oct. 3, 2026

A Cocoon that Elliot Mason, of all people, now had in his possession.

From "Glitch" by Laura Martin

Senior move managers are especially good when you need an outsider to force decisions about possessions you no longer need.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 8, 2026

She even made sure to itemize possessions in her will and distribute them to friends and/or family.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 27, 2026

After failing to score on their first three possessions that included their first lost fumble of the season, the Bruins’ offense reeled off touchdowns on their next three possessions.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 26, 2026

His possessions included his phone and rucksack, which contained a laptop, some school material, and a book he was reading, 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos by Jordan Peterson.

From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026

We waited and one day they came to bid us farewell, carrying their possessions, with their children trailing behind, all but the eldest, whom the tannery had claimed.

From "Nectar in a Sieve" by Kamala Markandaya

Related Words

• custody