possess

English Online Dictionary. What means possess‎? What does possess mean?

English

Etymology

From Middle English possessen (“to have, own; to obtain possession of; to inhabit, occupy”) [and other forms], from Middle French possesser, possessier, Old French possesser, possessier (“to have, own, possess; to dominate”), from Latin possessus (“possessed; seized”), the perfect passive participle of possideō (“to have, hold, own, possess; to have possessions; to take control or possession of, occupy, seize; to abide, inhabit, occupy; to dominate”), from potis (“able, capable, possible”) (from Proto-Indo-European *pótis (“master; ruler; husband”)) + sedeō (“to sit; to be seated; to be established, hold firm”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *sed- (“to sit”)).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation, General American) IPA^(key): /pəˈzɛs/
• Rhymes: -ɛs
• Hyphenation: po‧ssess

Verb

possess (third-person singular simple present possesses, present participle possessing, simple past and past participle possessed)

1. (transitive)
   1. To have (something) as, or as if as, an owner; to have, to own.

      Synonym: inhold
   2. Of an idea, thought, etc.: to dominate (someone's mind); to strongly influence.
   3. Of a supernatural entity, especially one regarded as evil: to take control of (an animal or person's body or mind).
   4. (also reflexive, chiefly literary and poetic) Of a person: to control or dominate (oneself or someone, or one's own or someone's heart, mind, etc.).
      1. To dominate (a person) sexually; to have sexual intercourse with (a person).
   5. (archaic)
      1. To cause an idea, thought, etc., to strongly affect or influence (someone); to inspire, to preoccupy.
      2. To occupy the attention or time of (someone).
      3. (also literary) To obtain or seize (something); to gain, to win.
      4. (also reflexive) Chiefly followed by of or with: to vest ownership of something in (oneself or someone); to bestow upon, to endow.

         Synonym: seise

         Antonyms: dispossess, unpossess
   6. (law) To have control or possession of, but not to own (a chattel or an interest in land).
   7. (obsolete)
      1. To give (someone) information or knowledge; to acquaint, to inform.
      2. To have the ability to use, or knowledge of (a language, a skill, etc.)
      3. To inhabit or occupy (a place).
      4. Chiefly followed by that: to convince or persuade (someone).
2. (intransitive)
   1. To dominate sexually; to have sexual intercourse with.
   2. To inhabit or occupy a place.

Conjugation

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

References

Further reading

• possession (disambiguation) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia