Meaning of "possess" in the English dictionary

ETYMOLOGY OF THE WORD POSSESS

From Old French possesser, from Latin possidēre to own, occupy; related to Latin sedēre to sit.

Etymology is the study of the origin of words and their changes in structure and significance.

PRONUNCIATION OF POSSESS

possess  [pəˈzɛs]

GRAMMATICAL CATEGORY OF POSSESS

Possess is a verb.

The verb is the part of the sentence that is conjugated and expresses action and state of being.

See the conjugation of the verb possess in English.

WHAT DOES POSSESS MEAN IN ENGLISH?

Definition of possess in the English dictionary

The first definition of possess in the dictionary is to have as one's property; own. Other definition of possess is to have as a quality, faculty, characteristic, etc. Possess is also to have knowledge or mastery of.

CONJUGATION OF THE VERB TO POSSESS

PRESENT

Present

I possess

you possess

he/she/it possesses

we possess

you possess

they possess

Present continuous

I am possessing

you are possessing

he/she/it is possessing

we are possessing

you are possessing

they are possessing

Present perfect

I have possessed

you have possessed

he/she/it has possessed

we have possessed

you have possessed

they have possessed

Present perfect continuous

I have been possessing

you have been possessing

he/she/it has been possessing

we have been possessing

you have been possessing

they have been possessing

Present tense is used to refer to circumstances that exist at the present time or over a period that includes the present time. The present perfect refers to past events, although it can be considered to denote primarily the resulting present situation rather than the events themselves.

PAST

Past

I possessed

you possessed

he/she/it possessed

we possessed

you possessed

they possessed

Past continuous

I was possessing

you were possessing

he/she/it was possessing

we were possessing

you were possessing

they were possessing

Past perfect

I had possessed

you had possessed

he/she/it had possessed

we had possessed

you had possessed

they had possessed

Past perfect continuous

I had been possessing

you had been possessing

he/she/it had been possessing

we had been possessing

you had been possessing

they had been possessing

Past tense forms express circumstances existing at some time in the past,

FUTURE

Future

I will possess

you will possess

he/she/it will possess

we will possess

you will possess

they will possess

Future continuous

I will be possessing

you will be possessing

he/she/it will be possessing

we will be possessing

you will be possessing

they will be possessing

Future perfect

I will have possessed

you will have possessed

he/she/it will have possessed

we will have possessed

you will have possessed

they will have possessed

Future perfect continuous

I will have been possessing

you will have been possessing

he/she/it will have been possessing

we will have been possessing

you will have been possessing

they will have been possessing

The future is used to express circumstances that will occur at a later time.

CONDITIONAL

Conditional

I would possess

you would possess

he/she/it would possess

we would possess

you would possess

they would possess

Conditional continuous

I would be possessing

you would be possessing

he/she/it would be possessing

we would be possessing

you would be possessing

they would be possessing

Conditional perfect

I would have possess

you would have possess

he/she/it would have possess

we would have possess

you would have possess

they would have possess

Conditional perfect continuous

I would have been possessing

you would have been possessing

he/she/it would have been possessing

we would have been possessing

you would have been possessing

they would have been possessing

Conditional or "future-in-the-past" tense refers to hypothetical or possible actions.

IMPERATIVE

Imperative

you possess
we let´s possess
you possess

The imperative is used to form commands or requests.

NONFINITE VERB FORMS

Infinitive

to possess

Past participle

possessed

Present Participle

possessing

Infinitive shows the action beyond temporal perspective. The present participle or gerund shows the action during the session. The past participle shows the action after completion.

SYNONYMS OF «POSSESS»

The following words have a similar or identical meaning as «possess» and belong to the same grammatical category.

synonyms of possess

bedevil · bewitch · consume · control · dominate · enjoy · fixate · haunt · have · hold · influence · mesmerize · obsess · occupy · own · seize

TRANSLATION OF POSSESS

Find out the translation of possess to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.

The translations of possess from English to other languages presented in this section have been obtained through automatic statistical translation; where the essential translation unit is the word «possess» in English.

• Translator English - Chinese: 占有
• Translator English - Spanish: poseer
• English: possess
• Translator English - Hindi: अधिकारी
• Translator English - Arabic: يـَمْتَلِك
• Translator English - Russian: обладать
• Translator English - Portuguese: possuir
• Translator English - Bengali: ভোগদখল করা
• Translator English - French: possess
• Translator English - Malay: Mempunyai
• Translator English - German: besitzen
• Translator English - Japanese: 所有する
• Translator English - Korean: 소유하다
• Translator English - Javanese: Nduweni
• Translator English - Vietnamese: sở hữu
• Translator English - Tamil: பெற்றிருக்கவில்லை
• Translator English - Marathi: ताब्यात घ्या
• Translator English - Turkish: sahip olmak
• Translator English - Italian: possedere
• Translator English - Polish: posiąść
• Translator English - Ukrainian: володіти
• Translator English - Romanian: a deține
• Translator English - Greek: κατέχω
• Translator English - Afrikaans: besit
• Translator English - Swedish: besitta
• Translator English - Norwegian: være i besittelse av

10 QUOTES WITH «POSSESS»

Famous quotes and sentences with the word possess.

1

Louisa May Alcott

She had a womanly instinct that clothes possess an influence more powerful over many than the worth of character or the magic of manners.

2

Pietro Aretino

What evil is there in seeing a man possess a woman? Why, the beasts would be more free than we!

3

Rudolf Arnheim

Rather than be asked to abandon one's own heritage and to adapt to the mores of the new country, one was expected to possess a treasure of foreign skills and customs that would enrich the resources of American living.

4

Billy Baldwin

I don't think anyone has a right to possess anything he doesn't love - art or anything else.

5

George Bancroft

Where the people possess no authority, their rights obtain no respect.

6

Arthur Blank

We will ensure that associates continue to possess unsurpassed product knowledge and maintain their dedication to customer service and respect for their colleagues and for the communities in which they work and live.

7

James Boswell

A companion loves some agreeable qualities which a man may possess, but a friend loves the man himself.

8

Arthur Capper

A boy or girl who has gone through the eight grades should possess a complete, practical education and should have received special training in some specific line of work, fitting him or her to earn a livelihood.

9

Charlemagne

To have another language is to possess a second soul.

10

John Cheever

What I am going to write is the last of what I have to say. I will say that literature is the only consciousness we possess and that its role as consciousness must inform us of our ability to comprehend the hideous danger of nuclear power.

10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «POSSESS»

Discover the use of possess in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to possess and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.

Possess

Fifteen-year-old Bridget Liu just wants to be left alone: by her over-protective mom, by Matt Quinn, the cute son of a local police sergeant, and by the eerie voices she can suddenly and inexplicably hear.

Gretchen McNeil, 2011

Mine to Possess

Nalini Singh pulls away another dark layer of sheer desire, revealing passions unknown in her latest novel about the world of the Psy.

Nalini Singh, 2008

Possess Me at Midnight

An apocalypse approaches in the new novel from bestselling author Shayla Black's electrifying Doomsday Brethren series, as a magical warrior and a spirited witch ignite a smoldering passion that could destroy them both.

Shayla Black, 2009

Possess Me

Three exciting new paranormal erotic novellas set in New Orleans, with a voodoo twist that's "pure magic". (Eden Bradley) In the Big Easy, there's a legend women long for: a sexual voodoo spirit who can fulfill their darkest fantasies.

R. G. Alexander, 2010

Possess the Vision

God then shows him His vision for the church, the bride of Christ. See the first sun rise of the new earth and witness the brides¿ marriage to the Lamb. Learn all the prophetic messages that proclaim; possess the vision.

Joseph Gordon, 2005

Possess Our Promised Land

Possession of our promised land of peace is a journey with the Holy Spirit as the Angel of the Lord to restore our soul from the fall of man.

Sharon Hanson, 2006

His to Possess

First published as a six-part erotic serial, Opal Carew's His to Possess is the intoxicating tale of a woman torn between a dominant billionaire and a tattooed, bad boy rock musician.

Opal Carew, 2014

To Possess the Land: A Biography of Arthur Rochford Manby

The story does not end there, and perhaps only Frank Waters could have portrayed the strange disintegration of Manby's personality as he aged, his frantic but ingenious efforts to regain "his" land.

Frank Waters, 1993

Wild to Possess / A Taste for Sin

Two frantic noir thrillers from 1959 and 1961 from an author about whom Bill Pronzini had this to say: "He produced some of the most compelling noir softcover originals of the 1950's."

Gil Brewer, 2006

Possessing Your Promised Land: Learn to Defeat Your Hidden ...

Dr. Fuchsia Pickett shares a life message that will open the gates of your soul through obedience. She shows you how to unlock the gates of your spirit with faith!

Fuchsia Pickett, Fuchsia T. Pickett, 2003

10 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «POSSESS»

Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term possess is used in the context of the following news items.

Boston man sentenced to more than 7 years for heroin trafficking

Efrain Arroyo Melendez, 49, of Boston's Allston neighborhood, pleaded guilty March 2 to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess ... «The Providence Journal, Jul 15»

Havering police chief's 'laughing gas' warning after rise in reports

This will make it an offence to possess or consume “legal highs” and breaching an order will result in a fixed penalty notice being issued fining ... «Romford Recorder, Jul 15»

Delaney: What do clubs need to win the Prem?

What traits do Premier League clubs need to possess to win the title? 19h. 0 Shares. Comment. Play. 5:21. ESPN FC Extra Time: Chelsea to defend title? «ESPN.co.uk, Jul 15»

Jacob deGrom outduels Zack Greinke, owns MLB's second-best ERA

NEW YORK -- Zack Greinke may possess the best ERA in the majors, but Jacob deGrom outpitched the Los Angeles Dodgers ace on Sunday. «ESPN, Jul 15»

Judge Lundy of the Verde Valley Justice Court issued the following …

Summer Strawberry Sizelove, 45, Cottonwood, Sale or Transport of a Dangerous Drug (2 counts), Possess/Use Meth Drug Paraphernalia (2 ... «Verde Independent, Jul 15»

5 Attributes the Modern Marketer Must Possess

Marketers, who were once tasked with just building awareness for companies, have evolved into brand ambassadors with a new boss: ... «Entrepreneur, Jul 15»

Gen Y women possess The New World Marketplace leadership …

... Gen Y women are better placed than ever before to position themselves at the top of businesses over the next decade and possess all of the ... «Pulse, Jul 15»

Brampton's top Ontario Scholars possess wisdom as well as intellect

BRAMPTON— The 100 per cent averages on their report cards make it clear Hardeep Begda and Purav Shah possess the intellectual faculties ... «Brampton Guardian, Jul 15»

Insidious Franchise to Possess Universal's Halloween Horror Nights

Realizing that you're the one who's haunted, and not your house, is set to be the most horrific thing horror fans will experience this fall. All-new ... «Shockya.com, Jul 15»

ACE and Chubb Possess Complementary Strengths

ACE (ACE) is a globally leading writer of industrial, commercial, and specialty property and casualty insurance, with a broad product portfolio. «Market Realist, Jul 15»