Definitions, Translations, and Word of the Day
Definition of "possess" []
- To have as property; own. (verb-transitive)
- To have as a quality, characteristic, or other attribute: possessed great tact. (verb-transitive)
- To acquire mastery of or have knowledge of: possess valuable data. (verb-transitive)
- To gain or exert influence or control over; dominate: Fury possessed me. (verb-transitive)
- To control or maintain (one's nature) in a particular condition: I possessed my temper despite the insult. (verb-transitive)
American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Use "possess" in a sentence
- "My abode is humble: in the midst of an orchard, which my father planted: but I possess a few books, some of them curious, and should like to _read_ double the number I _possess_. ""
- "The unusual quality they possess is that they are fluoresce in UV light or a common black light and will literally glow in the black light."
- "The history of Tamil invasions against the only homeland that the Buddhist Sinhalese possess is not just the stuff of ancient history, but a living reality underpinned by latter-day Tamil terrorism."