Usually means: Have ownership or control over.
Definitions Related words Phrases (New!) Mentions Lyrics History Colors (New!)
We found 37 dictionaries that define the word possess:

General (26 matching dictionaries)
  1. possess: Merriam-Webster.com
  2. possess: Oxford Learner's Dictionaries
  3. possess: American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language
  4. possess: Collins English Dictionary
  5. possess: Vocabulary.com
  6. Possess, possess: Wordnik
  7. possess: Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary
  8. possess: Wiktionary
  9. possess: Webster's New World College Dictionary, 4th Ed.
  10. possess: The Wordsmyth English Dictionary-Thesaurus
  11. possess: Infoplease Dictionary
  12. possess, possess: Dictionary.com
  13. possess: Online Etymology Dictionary
  14. possess: Cambridge Essential American English Dictionary
  15. Possess: Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia
  16. Possess: Online Plain Text English Dictionary
  17. possess: Webster's Revised Unabridged, 1913 Edition
  18. possess: Rhymezone
  19. possess: AllWords.com Multi-Lingual Dictionary
  20. possess: Webster's 1828 Dictionary
  21. possess: Free Dictionary
  22. possess: Mnemonic Dictionary
  23. possess: Dictionary/thesaurus
  24. possess: Wikimedia Commons US English Pronunciations

Art (2 matching dictionaries)
  1. Shakespeare Glossary (No longer online)
  2. The Organon: A Conceptually Indexed Dictionary (by Genus and Differentia) (No longer online)

Business (5 matching dictionaries)
  1. possess: Law.com Dictionary
  2. Everybody's Legal Dictionary (No longer online)
  3. Glossary of Legal Terms (No longer online)
  4. possess: Legal dictionary
  5. possess: Financial dictionary

Computing (1 matching dictionary)
  1. possess: Encyclopedia

Medicine (2 matching dictionaries)
  1. online medical dictionary (No longer online)
  2. possess: Medical dictionary

Miscellaneous (1 matching dictionary)
  1. possess: Idioms

(Note: See possessed as well.)

Definitions from Wiktionary (
)
American English Definition British English Definition
verb:  (transitive)
verb:  To have (something) as, or as if as, an owner; to have, to own.
verb:  Of an idea, thought, etc.: to dominate (someone's mind); to strongly influence.
verb:  Of a supernatural entity, especially one regarded as evil: to take control of (an animal or person's body or mind).
verb:  (also reflexive, chiefly literary and poetic) Of a person: to control or dominate (oneself or someone, or one's own or someone's heart, mind, etc.).
verb:  To dominate (a person) sexually; to have sexual intercourse with (a person).
verb:  (archaic)
verb:  To cause an idea, thought, etc., to strongly affect or influence (someone); to inspire, to preoccupy.
verb:  To occupy the attention or time of (someone).
verb:  (also literary) To obtain or seize (something); to gain, to win.
verb:  (also reflexive) Chiefly followed by of or with: to vest ownership of something in (oneself or someone); to bestow upon, to endow.
verb:  (law) To have control or possession of, but not to own (a chattel or an interest in land).
verb:  (obsolete)
verb:  To give (someone) information or knowledge; to acquaint, to inform.
verb:  To have the ability to use, or knowledge of (a language, a skill, etc.)
verb:  To inhabit or occupy (a place).
verb:  Chiefly followed by that: to convince or persuade (someone).
verb:  (intransitive)
verb:  To dominate sexually; to have sexual intercourse with.
verb:  To inhabit or occupy a place.

Similar:

Opposite:

Types:

Phrases:

Colors:
    emerald,     gold,     silver,     ruby,     sapphire, more...



Word origin

Words similar to possess

Usage examples for possess

Idioms related to possess

Wikipedia articles (New!)

Words that often appear near possess

Rhymes of possess

Invented words related to possess

Similar:

Opposite:

Types:

Phrases:

Colors:
    emerald,     gold,     silver,     ruby,     sapphire, more...



Writing poetry or lyrics? You can find related words that match a given meter.
This feature is permanently available from the "Related words" tab and from the Thesaurus.





Home   Reverse Dictionary / Thesaurus   Datamuse   Compound Your Joy   Threepeat   Spruce   Feedback   Dark mode   Help


Our daily word games Threepeat and Compound Your Joy are going strong. Bookmark and enjoy!