possession
- the act or fact of possessing.
- the state of being possessed.
- ownership.
- 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.
Origin of possession
Synonyms for possession
See more synonyms for on Thesaurus.comSynonym study
Related Words for possession
custody, title, retention, occupancy, tenancy, dominion, tenure, proprietorship, hold, occupation, proprietary, estate, accessories, impedimenta, settlement, wealth, paraphernalia, things, equipment, territoryExamples from the Web for possession
Contemporary Examples of possession
“We were finding people in possession of thousands of paper prescriptions,” he said.
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?
By the same token, maybe we need different words for possession.
Power is a visitor to, not a possession of, those it empowers.
David Mitchell’s ‘The Bone Clocks’ Is Fun But Mostly Empty CaloriesWilliam O’Connor
September 14, 2014
When detectives raided her store and found the silk in her possession, they arrested her.
Meet 'The Queen of Thieves' Marm Mandelbaum, New York City's First Mob BossJ. North Conway
September 7, 2014
Historical Examples of possession
He was a farmer's son, and seldom had any money in his possession.
Brave and BoldHoratio Alger
Had they still been in his possession, that would have been some compensation.
Brave and BoldHoratio Alger
They fought each other for the possession of this wonderful land.
Ancient ManHendrik Willem van Loon
On the invasion of William, as we have seen, it was in the possession of Edwin, sovereign of Deira.
The Grand Old ManRichard B. Cook
There are consciousnesses of lack which carry more bliss than any possession.
Weighed and WantingGeorge MacDonald
possession
- 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
Word Origin and History for possession
mid-14c., "act or fact of possessing, a taking possession, occupation," also "thing possessed, that which is possessed," from Old French possession "fact of having and holding; what is possessed;" also "demonic possession," and directly from Latin possessionem (nominative possessio), noun of action from past participle stem of possidere "to possess" (see possess). Legal property sense is earliest; demonic sense first recorded 1580s. Phrase possession is nine (or eleven) points of the law is out of a supposed 10 (or 12). With eleven from 1640s; with nine from 1690s.