self-possession
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of self-possession
First recorded in 1735–45
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"Hathaway is a model of steely self-possession masking vulnerability; Pattinson bites into his character's villainy with gusto."
From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026
But nothing comes across more clearly in “Queen of Chess” than Judit Polgár’s unruffled self-possession.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 5, 2026
It’s given me this facility, and this self-possession.
From Salon ● Aug. 11, 2024
Lagerfeld’s self-possession translated to a perpetually composed demeanor.
From New York Times ● Jun. 6, 2024
“Don’t be a sap,” he gazed with cool self-possession at me, “there isn’t any war.”
From "A Separate Peace" by John Knowles
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
