Definitions for possess
pəˈzɛspos·sess

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:1.0 / 1 vote

1. possessverb

   have as an attribute, knowledge, or skill

   "he possesses great knowledge about the Middle East"

2. own, have, possessverb

   have ownership or possession of

   "He owns three houses in Florida"; "How many cars does she have?"

3. possessverb

   enter into and control, as of emotions or ideas

   "What possessed you to buy this house?"; "A terrible rage possessed her"

WiktionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. possessverb

   To have; to have ownership of.

   He does not even possess a working telephone.

2. possessverb

   To take control of someone's body or mind, especially in a supernatural manner.

   They thought he was possessed by evil spirits.

3. possessverb

   To occupy.

4. possessverb

   To vest ownership in (someone) with ownership.

5. Etymology: * From possessus, past participle of possīdeō.

Samuel Johnson's DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. To POSSESSverb

   Etymology: possessus, Lat. posseder, Fr.

   1. To have as an owner; to be master of; to enjoy or occupy actually.

   She will not let instructions enter
   Where folly now possesses? William Shakespeare, Cymbeline.

   Record a gift,
   Here in the court, of all he dies possess’d,
   Unto his son. William Shakespeare, Merchant of Venice.

   Sundry more gentlemen this little hundred possesseth and possessioneth. Richard Carew, Survey of Cornwall.

   2. To seize; to obtain.

   The English marched towards the river Eske, intending to possess a hill called Under-Eske. John Hayward.

   3. To give possession or command of any thing; to make master of. It has of before that which is possessed; sometimes anciently with.

   Is he yet possest,
   How much you would?
   —— Ay, ay, three thousand ducats. William Shakespeare.

   This man, whom hand to hand I slew in fight,
   May be possessed with some store of crowns. William Shakespeare.

   This possesses us of the most valuable blessing of human life, friendship. Government of the Tongue.

   Seem I to thee sufficiently possess’d
   Of happiness or not, who am alone
   From all eternity? John Milton, Par. Lost, b. viii.

   I hope to possess chymists and corpuscularians of the advantages to each party, by confederacy between them. Boyle.

   The intent of this fable is to possess us of a just sense of the vanity of these craving appetites. Roger L'Estrange.

   Whole houses, of their whole desires possest,
   Are often ruin’d at their own request. Dryden.

   Of fortune’s favour long possess’d,
   He was with one fair daughter only bless’d. Dryden.

   We possessed ourselves of the kingdom of Naples, the dutchy of Milan and the avenue of France in Italy. Addison.

   Endowed with the greatest perfections of nature, and possessed of all the advantages of external condition, Solomon could not find happiness. Matthew Prior.

   4. To fill with something fixed.

   It is of unspeakable advantage to possess our minds with an habitual good intention, and to aim all our thoughts, words and actions at some laudable end. Addison.

   Those, under the great officers, know every little case that is before the great man, and if they are possessed with honest minds, will consider poverty as a recommendation. Addis.

   5. To have power over, as an unclean spirit.

   Beware what spirit rages in your breast;
   For ten inspir’d, ten thousand are possest. Wentworth Dillon.

   Inspir’d within, and yet possess’d without. John Cleveland.

   I think, that the man is possessed. Jonathan Swift.

   6. To affect by intestine power.

   He’s possest with greatness,
   And speaks not to himself, but with a pride
   That quarrels at self-breath. William Shakespeare, Troil. and Cres.

   Let not your ears despise my tongue,
   Which shall possess them with the heaviest sound
   That ever yet they heard. William Shakespeare.

   Possest with rumours full of idle dreams,
   Not knowing what they fear, but full of fear. William Shakespeare.

   What fury, O son,
   Possesses thee, to bend that mortal dart
   Against thy father’s head? John Milton, Par. Lost, b. ii.

   With the rage of all their race possest,
   Stung to the soul the brothers start from rest. Alexander Pope.

Webster DictionaryRate this definition:5.0 / 1 vote

1. Possessverb

   to occupy in person; to hold or actually have in one's own keeping; to have and to hold

2. Possessverb

   to have the legal title to; to have a just right to; to be master of; to own; to have; as, to possess property, an estate, a book

3. Possessverb

   to obtain occupation or possession of; to accomplish; to gain; to seize

4. Possessverb

   to enter into and influence; to control the will of; to fill; to affect; -- said especially of evil spirits, passions, etc

5. Possessverb

   to put in possession; to make the owner or holder of property, power, knowledge, etc.; to acquaint; to inform; -- followed by of or with before the thing possessed, and now commonly used reflexively

Chambers 20th Century DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Possess

   poz-zes′, v.t. to have or hold as an owner: to have the control of: to inform: to seize: to enter into and influence: to put (one's self) in possession (of): (Spens.) to achieve: (Shak.) put in possession of information, convince.—adj. Possessed′, influenced by some evil spirit, demented.—n. Posses′sion, act of possessing: the thing possessed: a country taken by conquest: property: state of being possessed, as by an evil spirit: madness.—adjs. Posses′sionary, Posses′sive, pertaining to or denoting possession.—n. Posses′sive (gram.), a pronoun denoting possession: the possessive case.—adv. Posses′sively.—n. Posses′sor, one who possesses: owner: proprietor: occupant.—adj. Posses′sory, relating to a possessor or possession: having possession.—Give possession, to put in another's power or occupancy; Take possession, to assume ownership; Writ of possession, a process directing a sheriff to put a person in possession of property recovered in ejectment. [Fr.,—L. possidēre, possessum.]

Matched Categories

1. • Dominate
   • Have

British National Corpus

1. Verbs Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'possess' in Verbs Frequency: #463

How to pronounce possess?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say possess in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of possess in Chaldean Numerology is: 5

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of possess in Pythagorean Numerology is: 4

Examples of possess in a Sentence

1. Francois de La Rochefoucauld:

   Before we set our hearts too much upon anything, let us examine how happy those are who already possess it.

2. Unknown:

   Use what talents you possess: the woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang the best.

3. Heinrich Heine:

   Be entirely tolerant or not at all; follow the good path or the evil one. To stand at the crossroads requires more strength than you possess.

4. Oswald Chambers:

   We say, sorrow, disaster, calamity. God says, chastening and it sounds sweet to him though it is a discord to our ears. Don't faint when you are rebuked, and don't despise the chastening of the Lord. In your patience possess your souls.

5. Bouilly:

   Whatever we possess becomes of double value When we have the opportunity of sharing it with others.

Popularity rank by frequency of use