Definition of "prepossessing" [pre•pos•sess•ing]

• Serving to impress favorably; pleasing: a prepossessing appearance. (adjective)
• Archaic Causing prejudice. (adjective)

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.

• "It seemed incredible, yet it was true; it was proved to be so to me by his pricking his ears and his attentive look at the mention of the word prepossessing him in relation to the money: Government."
• "His face was hardly to be termed prepossessing, but it certainly did not denote the ruthless ferocity which the nature of the task he had undertaken would require, and which he exercised in its accomplishment."
• "Simply as a descriptive touch, or with the idea of prepossessing me in favour of Mr. Luzhin?"