Definitions for possess
pəˈzɛspos·sess

Princeton's WordNet(1.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. possess(verb)

   have as an attribute, knowledge, or skill

   "he possesses great knowledge about the Middle East"

2. own, have, possess(verb)

   have ownership or possession of

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

3. possess(verb)

   enter into and control, as of emotions or ideas

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

Wiktionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. possess(Verb)

   To have; to have ownership of.

   He does not even possess a working telephone.

2. possess(Verb)

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

   They thought he was possessed by evil spirits.

3. possess(Verb)

   To occupy.

4. possess(Verb)

   To vest ownership in (someone) with ownership.

Origin: * From possessus, past participle of possīdeō.

Webster Dictionary(5.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. Possess(verb)

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

2. Possess(verb)

   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. Possess(verb)

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

4. Possess(verb)

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

5. Possess(verb)

   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 Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

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.]

British National Corpus

1. Verbs Frequency

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

How to pronounce possess?

1. 

   Alex

   US English

   

   Daniel

   British

   

   Karen

   Australian

   

   Veena

   Indian

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. Luc de Clapiers, marquis de Vauvenargues:

   To possess taste, one must have some soul.

2. Benjamin Franklin:

   He does not possess wealth it possesses him.

3. Edna Woolman Chase:

   Fashion can be bought. Style one must possess.

4. The Talmud:

   He alone is poor who does not possess knowledge.

5. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe:

   Whatever you cannot understand, you cannot possess.

Images & Illustrations of possess

Popularity rank by frequency of use