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British

possession

[ puh-zesh-uhn ]

/ pəˈzɛʃ ən /

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See synonyms for: possession / possessions on Thesaurus.com

noun

the act or fact of possessing.

the state of being possessed.

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

a thing possessed: He packed all his possessions into one trunk.

possessions, property or wealth.

a territorial dominion of a state.

Sports.

physical control of the ball or puck by a player or team: He didn't have full possession when he was tackled.
the right of a team to put the ball into play: They had possession after the other team sank a free throw.

control over oneself, one's mind, etc.

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

the feeling or idea itself.

OTHER WORDS FOR possession

1 tenure, occupation.

See synonyms for possession on Thesaurus.com

VIDEO FOR POSSESSION

What Are The Rules For Adding An Apostrophe Plus An S To Words?

The rules for showing possession—that is, owning, having, or belonging to something—in English grammar can be extremely frustrating. Here are three general rules.

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QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of possession

1300–50; Middle English <Latin possessiōn- (stem of possessiō) occupancy, act of occupying, equivalent to possess(us), past participle of possidēre to have in one's control, occupy (and, in active sense, past participle of posīdere to seize upon) (*pots-, akin to posse to be able + -sidēre, combining form of sedēre to sit¹; cf. host¹) + -iōn--ion

synonym study for possession

1, 3. See custody.

OTHER WORDS FROM possession

non·pos·ses·sion, noun

Words nearby possession

posse comitatus, posser, possess, possessed, possessed by, possession, possession is nine points of the law, possession order, possessive, possessive adjective, possessive pronoun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use possession in a sentence

Barcelona has the highest possession and is the highest passing team left in the Champions League.
The Best Round Of The Champions League Is Here|Chadwick Matlin (chadwick.matlin@fivethirtyeight.com)|February 12, 2021|FiveThirtyEight
So, when a brand acquires a negative association for some consumers, as is happening with MyPillow, consumers may feel tainted by their association with this possession.
MyPillow boycott: How a product can spark an identity crisis|Elizabeth Chang|February 12, 2021|Washington Post
Once we cross half court from the possession, we forget about it, we’re on to the next one.
College basketball’s kingdoms have gone haywire — in case you just started paying attention|Chuck Culpepper|February 12, 2021|Washington Post
When he took possession of the mic, he shouted out the defensive line.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers celebrate Super Bowl LV victory in boat parade|Cindy Boren, Glynn A. Hill|February 10, 2021|Washington Post

The Missouri Valley has delivered some of the country’s best mid-majors over the years, and in terms of per-possession efficiency metrics, this Loyola team can play with all of them.
Remember Loyola? This Team Is Even Better Than The One That Made The Final Four.|Jake Lourim|February 10, 2021|FiveThirtyEight
But Brinsley went away for two years in prison for weapons possession in August 2011.
Alleged Cop Killer Ismaaiyl Brinsley Had a Death Wish|M.L. Nestel|December 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“We were finding people in possession of thousands of paper prescriptions,” he said.
No More Paper Prescriptions: Docs Fight Fraud by Going Electronic|Dale Eisinger|December 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He was charged with criminal possession of a weapon and faced 15 years prison time.
Rapper Bobby Shmurda Arrested at New York’s Notorious Quad Studios|M.L. Nestel|December 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The interval between possession and hell was short,” he says, “though I admit it was wonderful.
Owning Up to Possession’s Downside|Samantha Harvey|December 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
If we begin to see the other as our possession and commodity, our shoe, the shadow of our shadow, is there ever a happy outcome?
Owning Up to Possession’s Downside|Samantha Harvey|December 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Within the past thirty years civilization has rapidly taken possession of this lovely region.
Among the Sioux|R. J. Creswell
The last-named building remained in the possession of the Unitarians until 1861, when it was sold to the Roman Catholics.
Showell's Dictionary of Birmingham|Thomas T. Harman and Walter Showell
The evening previous to his death he was walking about the farm, in the full possession of all his faculties of mind and body.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology|Joel Munsell
Providence, interposing, made him a painter, and the gaiety of nations has been increased by the possession of some storks.
Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 107, November 3, 1894|Various
"Marco's" reply conclusively proved his possession of a Christian spirit.
Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 107, November 3, 1894|Various

British Dictionary definitions for possession

possession

/ (pəˈzɛʃən) /

noun

the act of possessing or state of being possessedin possession of the crown

anything that is owned or possessed

(plural) wealth or property

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

the physical control or occupancy of land, property, etc, whether or not accompanied by ownershipto take possession of a house

a territory subject to a foreign state or to a sovereign princecolonial possessions

sport control of the ball, puck, etc, as exercised by a player or teamhe lost possession in his own half

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012