Possess

• POS: Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: pos=sess

CIDE DICTIONARY

Possess, v. t. [L. possessus, p. p. of possidere to have, possess, from an inseparable prep. (cf. Position) + sedere to sit. See Sit.].

•  To occupy in person; to hold or actually have in one's own keeping; to have and to hold.  [1913 Webster]

  "Houses and fields and vineyards shall be possessed again in this land."  [1913 Webster]

  "Yet beauty, though injurious, hath strange power,
  After offense returning, to regain
  Love once possessed."  [1913 Webster]
•  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.  [1913 Webster]

  "I am yours, and all that I possess."  [1913 Webster]
•  To obtain occupation or possession of; to accomplish; to gain; to seize.  [1913 Webster]

  "How . . . to possess the purpose they desired."  [1913 Webster]
•  To enter into and influence; to control the will of; to fill; to affect; -- said especially of evil spirits, passions, etc.  Shak.  [1913 Webster]

  "Those which were possessed with devils."  [1913 Webster]

  "For ten inspired, ten thousand are possessed."  [1913 Webster]
•  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.  [1913 Webster]

  "I have possessed your grace of what I purpose."  [1913 Webster]

  "Record a gift . . . of all he dies possessed
  Unto his son."  [1913 Webster]

  "We possessed our selves of the kingdom of Naples."  [1913 Webster]

  "To possess our minds with an habitual good intention."  [1913 Webster]

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

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Possess, v.tr.
1 hold as property; own.
2 have a faculty, quality, etc. (they possess a special value for us).
3 (also refl.; foll. by in) maintain (oneself, one's soul, etc.) in a specified state (possess oneself in patience).
4 a (of a demon etc.) occupy; have power over (a person etc.) (possessed by the devil). b (of an emotion, infatuation, etc.) dominate, be an obsession of (possessed by fear).
5 have sexual intercourse with (esp. a woman).

Idiom

be possessed of own, have. possess oneself of take or get for one's own. what possessed you? an expression of incredulity.

Derivative

possessor n. possessory adj.

Etymology

OF possesser f. L possidere possess- f. potis able + sedere sit

THESAURUS

Possess

achieve, acquire, appreciate, apprehend, be acquainted with, be apprised of, be aware of, be cognizant of, be conscious of, be conversant with, be enfeoffed of, be informed, be possessed of, be seized of, bear, bedevil, beset, bewitch, boast, captivate, carry, catch up, charm, claim, clap hands on, clasp, claw, clench, clinch, clutch, cognize, come by, come into, command, compel, comprehend, conceive, conceptualize, consume, contain, control, demonize, devilize, diabolize, discern, dominate, drain off, draw off, drive, embody, embrace, enchant, enjoy, fathom, fill, gain, get, get hold of, glom on to, govern, grab, grab hold of, grapple, grasp, grip, gripe, hant, haunt, have, have and hold, have in hand, have information about, have knowledge of, have tenure of, hex, hold, hoodoo, hug, impel, include, infatuate, jinx, ken, know, lay hands on, lay hold of, loot, make out, nail, nip, nip up, not let go, obsess, obtain, occupy, overlook, own, palm, partake, perceive, pillage, pocket, prehend, preoccupy, procure, realize, receive, recognize, retain, savvy, secure, see, seize, snap up, snatch, spook, squat, squat on, steal, take, take by assault, take by storm, take hold of, take possession, take possession of, understand, usucapt, voodoo, whip up, win, witch, wot, wot of

ROGET THESAURUS

Possess

Possession

VB possess, have, hold, occupy, enjoy, be possessed of, have in hand, own, command, inherit, come to, come in for, engross, monopolize, forestall, regrate, impropriate, have all to oneself, corner, have a firmhold of, get into one's hand, belong to, appertain to, pertain to, be in one's possession, vest in.

Property

VB possess, be the possessor of, own, have for one's own, have for one's very own, come in for, inherit, savor of the realty, be one's property, belong to, appertain to, pertain to.

Belief

VB believe, credit, give faith to, give credit to, credence to, see, realize, assume, receive, set down for, take for, have it, take it, consider, esteem, presume, count upon, depend upon, calculate upon, pin one's faith upon, reckon upon, lean upon, build upon, rely upon, rest upon, lay one's account for, make sure of, make oneself easy about, on that score, take on trust, take on credit, take for granted, take for gospel, allow some weight to, attach some weight to, know, know for certain, have know, make no doubt, doubt not, be, rest assured, persuade oneself, assure oneself, satisfy oneself, make up one's mind, give one credit for, confide in, believe in, put one's trust in, place in, repose in, implicit confidence in, take one's word for, at one's word, place reliance on, rely upon, swear by, regard to, think, hold, take, take it, opine, be of opinion, conceive, trow, ween, fancy, apprehend, have it, hold a belief, possess, entertain a belief, adopt a belief, imbibe a belief, embrace a belief, get hold of a belief, hazard, foster, nurture a belief, cherish a belief, have an opinion, hold an opinion, possess, entertain an opinion, adopt an opinion, imbibe an opinion, embrace an opinion, get hold of an opinion, hazard an opinion, foster an opinion, nurture an opinion, cherish an opinion, view as, consider as, take as, hold as, conceive as, regard as, esteem as, deem as, look upon as, account as, set down as, surmise, get it into one's head, take it into one's head, come round to an opinion, swallow, cause to be believed, satisfy, persuade, have the ear of, gain the confidence of, assure, convince, convict, convert, wean, bring round, bring over, win over, indoctrinate, cram down the throat, produce conviction, carry conviction, bring home to, drive home to, go down, find credence, pass current, be received, be current, possess, take hold of, take possession of the mind, believe, credit, give faith to, give credit to, credence to, see, realize, assume, receive, set down for, take for, have it, take it, consider, esteem, presume, count upon, depend upon, calculate upon, pin one's faith upon, reckon upon, lean upon, build upon, rely upon, rest upon, lay one's account for, make sure of, make oneself easy about, on that score, take on trust, take on credit, take for granted, take for gospel, allow some weight to, attach some weight to, know, know for certain, have know, make no doubt, doubt not, be, rest assured, persuade oneself, assure oneself, satisfy oneself, make up one's mind, give one credit for, confide in, believe in, put one's trust in, place in, repose in, implicit confidence in, take one's word for, at one's word, place reliance on, rely upon, swear by, regard to, think, hold, take, take it, opine, be of opinion, conceive, trow, ween, fancy, apprehend, have it, hold a belief, possess, entertain a belief, adopt a belief, imbibe a belief, embrace a belief, get hold of a belief, hazard, foster, nurture a belief, cherish a belief, have an opinion, hold an opinion, possess, entertain an opinion, adopt an opinion, imbibe an opinion, embrace an opinion, get hold of an opinion, hazard an opinion, foster an opinion, nurture an opinion, cherish an opinion, view as, consider as, take as, hold as, conceive as, regard as, esteem as, deem as, look upon as, account as, set down as, surmise, get it into one's head, take it into one's head, come round to an opinion, swallow, cause to be believed, satisfy, persuade, have the ear of, gain the confidence of, assure, convince, convict, convert, wean, bring round, bring over, win over, indoctrinate, cram down the throat, produce conviction, carry conviction, bring home to, drive home to, go down, find credence, pass current, be received, be current, possess, take hold of, take possession of the mind, believe, credit, give faith to, give credit to, credence to, see, realize, assume, receive, set down for, take for, have it, take it, consider, esteem, presume, count upon, depend upon, calculate upon, pin one's faith upon, reckon upon, lean upon, build upon, rely upon, rest upon, lay one's account for, make sure of, make oneself easy about, on that score, take on trust, take on credit, take for granted, take for gospel, allow some weight to, attach some weight to, know, know for certain, have know, make no doubt, doubt not, be, rest assured, persuade oneself, assure oneself, satisfy oneself, make up one's mind, give one credit for, confide in, believe in, put one's trust in, place in, repose in, implicit confidence in, take one's word for, at one's word, place reliance on, rely upon, swear by, regard to, think, hold, take, take it, opine, be of opinion, conceive, trow, ween, fancy, apprehend, have it, hold a belief, possess, entertain a belief, adopt a belief, imbibe a belief, embrace a belief, get hold of a belief, hazard, foster, nurture a belief, cherish a belief, have an opinion, hold an opinion, possess, entertain an opinion, adopt an opinion, imbibe an opinion, embrace an opinion, get hold of an opinion, hazard an opinion, foster an opinion, nurture an opinion, cherish an opinion, view as, consider as, take as, hold as, conceive as, regard as, esteem as, deem as, look upon as, account as, set down as, surmise, get it into one's head, take it into one's head, come round to an opinion, swallow, cause to be believed, satisfy, persuade, have the ear of, gain the confidence of, assure, convince, convict, convert, wean, bring round, bring over, win over, indoctrinate, cram down the throat, produce conviction, carry conviction, bring home to, drive home to, go down, find credence, pass current, be received, be current, possess, take hold of, take possession of the mind.

Knowledge

VB know, ken, scan, wot, wot aware, be aware of, ween, weet, trow, have, possess, conceive, apprehend, comprehend, take, realize, understand, savvy, appreciate, fathom, make out, recognize, discern, perceive, see, get a sight-of, experience, know full well, have some knowledge of, possess some knowledge of, be au courant, have in one's head, have at one' fingers ends, know by heart, know by rote, be master of, connaitre le dessous des cartes, know what's what, see one's way, discover, come to one's knowledge.