Definitions for: Possess


[v] have ownership or possession of; "He owns three houses in Florida"; "How many cars does she have?"
[v] have as an attribute, knowledge, or skill; "he possesses great knowledge about the Middle East"
[v] enter into and control, as of emotions or ideas; "What possessed you to buy this house?"; "A terrible rage possessed her"



Webster (1913) Definition: Pos*sess" (?; 277), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Possessed;
p. pr. & vb. n. Possessing.] [L. possessus, p. p. of
possidere to have, possess, from an inseparable prep. (cf.
Position) + sedere to sit. See Sit.]
1. To occupy in person; to hold or actually have in one's own
keeping; to have and to hold.

Houses and fields and vineyards shall be possessed
again in this land. --Jer. xxxii.
15.

Yet beauty, though injurious, hath strange power,
After offense returning, to regain Love once
possessed. --Milton.

2. 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.

I am yours, and all that I possess. --Shak.

3. To obtain occupation or possession of; to accomplish; to
gain; to seize.

How . . . to possess the purpose they desired.
--Spenser.

4. To enter into and influence; to control the will of; to
fill; to affect; -- said especially of evil spirits,
passions, etc. ``Weakness possesseth me.'' --Shak.

Those which were possessed with devils. --Matt. iv.
24.

For ten inspired, ten thousand are possessed.
--Roscommon.

5. 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.

I have possessed your grace of what I purpose.
--Shak.

Record a gift . . . of all he dies possessed Unto
his son. --Shak.

We possessed our selves of the kingdom of Naples.
--Addison.

To possess our minds with an habitual good
intention. --Addison.

Syn: To have; hold; occupy; control; own.

Usage: Possess, Have. Have is the more general word. To
possess denotes to have as a property. It usually
implies more permanence or definiteness of control or
ownership than is involved in having. A man does not
possess his wife and children: they are (so to speak)
part of himself. For the same reason, we have the
faculties of reason, understanding, will, sound
judgment, etc.: they are exercises of the mind, not
possessions.

Synonyms: have, own

See Also: dominate, exhibit, feature, have, prepossess

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