possession is nine points of the law

Idioms  

1. Actually holding something is better than merely claiming it. For example, When Karen told John he must return the sofa he'd borrowed, he said possession is nine points of the law. This term originally alluded to nine elements that would aid someone's lawsuit, among them a good lawyer, good witnesses, a good jury, a good judge, and good luck. In time, however, the term was used more for squatter's rights. [Late 1500s]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

possession is nine points of the law

Turkey set covetous eyes on Mosul, synonym for oil; Britain set faith on the adage "possession is nine points of the law."

From Time Magazine Archive

And thus, on the principle that "possession is nine points of the law," it secures for its roots the use of a certain amount of territory quite safe from the encroachments of other plants.

From Scientific American Supplement, No. 648, June 2, 1888. by Various

I have heard lots of times that possession is nine points of the law, and I was determined to possess all nine.

From Over Paradise Ridge A Romance by Maria Thompson Daviess

My dear sir, they have a saying in this country that possession is nine points of the law.

From The Port of Missing Men by Meredith Nicholson

As a general principle we all know that possession is nine points of the law.

From Some Principles of Maritime Strategy by Julian S. (Julian Stafford) Corbett