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

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