self-possessed
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
- self-possessedly adverb
- self-possession noun
- unself-possessed adjective
Etymology
Origin of self-possessed
First recorded in 1760–70
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.
An even more welcome addition to our already bulging shelves is the belated arrival of a largely complete studio discography of Britain’s greatest conductor, and certainly its most self-possessed: the musical grandee Sir Thomas Beecham.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 23, 2025
It’s impossible to know if Smith was really this self-possessed and ruminative as a child or if nostalgia has altered her perspective.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 31, 2025
She’s become someone just as cruel, self-possessed and inconsiderate as Marion.
From Salon • Mar. 2, 2025
"Mark is far more self-possessed and septical, possibly, of this company," says the 51-year-old, who played manager Ben Wyatt in comedy Parks and Recreation.
From BBC • Jan. 17, 2025
She was a good student, curious and self-possessed, a collector of details much like her dad.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
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.
