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

He is talking about limiting the validity of possession permits, and a possible amnesty to encourage those with unlicensed guns to hand them in.

From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026

The possession permits are valid for the lifetime of the holder.

From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026

City's 3-2-2-3 shape in possession is clearly seen here.

From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026

Muncy had to fight for the homer that would give him sole possession for the record of most home runs at Dodger Stadium.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026

Their most valuable possession had been the one thousand dollars in inventory and equipment at the restaurant.

From "A Place to Belong" by Cynthia Kadohata

Barcola ranked ninth across Europe's top five leagues for possessions won in the final third last season, a metric that reflects the aggressive pressing and intensity likely to be demanded under Andoni Iraola.

From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026

Instead, he traded for it after a Lakers game in the Forum parking lot back sometime in the mid- to late-1970s, giving up one of his prized possessions as a teenager living in South Gate:

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026

Roh uploaded photos of her wedding dress, luxury handbags and other possessions.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026

Tan, who said alleged possessions are often accompanied by symptoms of psychosis, insisted Philippine psychiatrists were not seeking to "compete with the Catholic Church", but rather to bridge the gap between culture and science.

From Barron's ● Jul. 19, 2026

My father carried on his shoulders the large blue-tin trunk which later I learned contained all of Ultima’s earthly possessions, the black dresses and shawls she wore, and the magic of her sweet smelling herbs.

From "Bless Me, Ultima" by Rudolfo Anaya

Related Words

• custody