possession

American  

[puh-zesh-uhn] / pəˈzɛʃ ən /

noun

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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Related Words

See custody.

Other Word Forms

• nonpossession
  noun

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

He plays nearly every offensive possession as if it’s the final minute of a Game 7.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 26, 2026

Out of possession he worked hard, too - his 1,895 high-intensity pressures were the most applied by a central midfielder.

From BBC • May 25, 2026

As of 1 April this year, 838,992 young people, or about 15% of Scotland's entire population, were in possession of a valid NEC pass.

From BBC • May 25, 2026

Americans from the Gilded Age saw the Declaration as their own possession, not merely an object for study.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026

The boy could see that freedom depended on the possession of land; he was persuaded that, in one way or another, Negroes must achieve this possession.

From "The Fire Next Time" by James Baldwin

Related Words

• custody