possession Meaning & Definition
What Does Possession Mean?
Possession is a noun that means A control or occupancy of something for which one does not necessarily have private property rights. It is also used to mean Something that is owned. As a verb, it means To invest with property.
Possession at a Glance
| Part of speech | noun, verb |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | //pəˈzɛʃn̩// |
| Syllables | 1 |
| Synonyms | monomania, ownership and owndom |
| Antonyms | absence |
| Plural | possessions |
| Verb forms | possessions, possessioning, possessioned |
Possession Definition (Noun)
- A control or occupancy of something for which one does not necessarily have private property rights.
- Something that is owned.
The car quickly became his most prized possession.
- An ownership; a taking, a holding, keeping something as one's own.
The car is in my possession.
- A territory under the rule of another country.
Réunion is the largest of France's overseas possessions.
- The condition or affliction of being possessed by a demon or other supernatural entity.
Back then, people with psychiatric disorders were sometimes thought to be victims of demonic possession.
- The condition of being under the control of strong emotion or madness.
- A control of the ball; the opportunity to be on the offensive.
The scoreboard shows a little football symbol next to the name of the team that has possession.
- A disposal of the ball during a game, i.e. a kick or a handball.
- A syntactic relationship between two nouns or nominals that may be used to indicate ownership.
Some languages distinguish between a construction like 'my car', which shows alienable possession — the car could become someone else's — and one like 'my foot', which has inalienable possession — my foot will always be mine.
- closure of a section of track for maintenance works.
Possession as a Verb
- To invest with property.
Noun
- Control or occupancy of something for which one does not necessarily have private property rights.
- Ownership; taking, holding, keeping something as one's own.
I'm in possession of the car.
- Control of the ball; the opportunity to be on the offensive.
The scoreboard shows a little football symbol next to the name of the team that has possession.
Synonyms of Possession
Possession synonyms and antonyms →Antonyms of Possession
Possession in a Sentence
The car quickly became his most prized possession.
I would gladly give all of my worldly possessions just to be able to do that.
The car is in my possession.
I'm in possession of the car.
Réunion is the largest of France's overseas possessions.
Back then, people with psychiatric disorders were sometimes thought to be victims of demonic possession.
The scoreboard shows a little football symbol next to the name of the team that has possession.
Some languages distinguish between a construction like 'my car', which shows alienable possession — the car could become someone else's — and one like 'my foot', which has inalienable possession — my foot will always be mine.
Word Forms & Grammar
possession (countable and uncountable, plural possessions)
possession (third-person singular simple present possessions, present participle possessioning, simple past and past participle possessioned)
Words That Rhyme With Possession
Origin of Possession
From Latin possessiō, possessiōnis. Equivalent to possess + -ion.
Pronouncing Possession
You say possession as //pəˈzɛʃn̩//. It has 1 syllable.
Possession: Your Questions Answered
Is possession a noun or a verb?
Possession is mainly used as a noun, but it can also be used as a verb.
What is another word for possession?
You can replace possession with words such as monomania, ownership and owndom. See the full list of possession synonyms and antonyms.
What is the opposite of possession?
The opposite of possession is absence.
What is the plural of possession?
The plural of possession is possessions.
What is the past tense of possession?
The past tense of possession is possessioned. The present participle is possessioning.