possess

possess — verb

1. to have something as your own, or to naturally have a quality, skill, or feature

1.verbtransitiveC1
Definition

to have something as your own, or to naturally have a quality, skill, or feature.

Example

The museum possesses several maps from the Qing period.

possess + noun phrase for ownership

Sofia possesses a rare gift for making shy children laugh.

possess + quality or ability

Common collocations
  • possess great skill
  • possess rare talent
  • possess property
  • possess strong character
  • possess enough strength
Synonyms
  • own

    best for legal or clear ownership

  • have

    broader and much more common in everyday speech

  • hold

    more formal, often used for rights, positions, or property

  • boast

    used when a quality or feature is notably impressive

Antonyms
  • lack

    to not have a needed quality or thing

  • be without

    formal phrase meaning not to have something

Grammar Patterns

possess + noun phrase

possess + quality/skill

Usage Note

More formal than 'have', especially in writing about property, qualities, or skills. Distinguish from sense 2: here the subject simply has something; it is not being mentally controlled by it.

Common Mistakes

The family possesses of three cars.
The family possesses three cars.
possess is directly transitive and does not take 'of' before its object.

2. if an emotion, wish, or idea takes over someone's mind, it controls how that per

2.verbtransitiveC2
Definition

if an emotion, wish, or idea takes over someone's mind, it controls how that person thinks or acts.

Example

A strange fear possessed Nina when the hospital lights went out.

subject is an emotion or idea

By midnight, Marcus was possessed by a need to call home.

passive: be possessed by + feeling

Common collocations
  • be possessed by fear
  • be possessed by anger
  • be possessed by a desire to
  • panic possessed him
  • an idea possessed her
Synonyms
  • grip

    common and vivid, especially for fear or panic

  • overwhelm

    focuses on emotional force rather than total control

  • consume

    suggests the feeling fills almost all of a person's thoughts

  • dominate

    more general, not limited to emotions or ideas

Grammar Patterns

[emotion/idea] + possess + somebody

be possessed by + emotion/idea

Usage Note

Subject is usually an emotion, fear, wish, or idea, while the object is the affected person. Often appears in passive with 'by', and is much more literary than ordinary verbs like 'worry' or 'upset'.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All four words can talk about having something, but they differ in tone and focus. 'Have' is the ordinary everyday choice and fits almost any object, quality, or relationship. 'Own' is more precise: it clearly marks legal ownership, so it works well for houses, cars, or land. 'Possess' is more formal and is common in careful writing when the point is either ownership or a notable quality, as in 'possess great patience'. 'Hold' is also formal, but it is more natural for rights, power, beliefs, or official positions than for general belongings. Compare: 'The family owns the farm,' 'Lina has a good ear for music,' and 'Few leaders possess such calm judgment.'

possess ↗ownhave ↗hold ↗

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

English took this word from French, which had borrowed it from Latin 'possidere', meaning 'to have' or 'to hold'. The Latin form is linked to the ideas of power and sitting or staying in control of something. From that early sense of holding property, English later widened the word to include having personal qualities or being taken over by a strong feeling or idea.