Word Meanings - POSSESS - Book Publishers vocabulary database

possess, from an inseparable prep. + sedere to sit. 1. To occupy in person; to hold or actually have in one's own keeping; to have and to hold. Houses and fields and vineyards shall be possessed again in this land. Jer. xxxii. 15. Yet beauty,

Additional info about word: POSSESS

possess, from an inseparable prep. + sedere to sit. 1. To occupy in person; to hold or actually have in one's own keeping; to have and to hold. Houses and fields and vineyards shall be possessed again in this land. Jer. xxxii. 15. Yet beauty, though injurious, hath strange power, After offense returning, to regain Love once possessed. Milton. 2. To have the legal title to; to have a just right to; to be master of; to own; to have; as, to possess property, an estate, a book. I am yours, and all that I possess. Shak. 3. To obtain occupation or possession of; to accomplish; to gain; to seize. How . . . to possess the purpose they desired. Spenser. 4. To enter into and influence; to control the will of; to fill; to affect; -- said especially of evil spirits, passions, etc. "Weakness possesseth me." Shak. Those which were possessed with devils. Matt. iv. 24. For ten inspired, ten thousand are possessed. Roscommon. 5. To put in possession; to make the owner or holder of property, power, knowledge, etc.; to acquaint; to inform; -- followed by of or with before the thing possessed, and now commonly used reflexively. I have possessed your grace of what I purpose. Shak. Record a gift . . . of all he dies possessed Unto his son. Shak. We possessed our selves of the kingdom of Naples. Addison. To possess our minds with an habitual good intention. Addison. Syn. -- To have; hold; occupy; control; own. -- Possess, Have. Have is the more general word. To possess denotes to have as a property. It usually implies more permanence or definiteness of control or ownership than is involved in having. A man does not possess his wife and children: they are part of himself. For the same reason, we have the faculties of reason, understanding, will, sound judgment, etc.: they are exercises of the mind, not possessions.

Possible synonyms: (Same meaning words of POSSESS)

• Confiscate
• Seize
• escheat
• dis
• possess
• sequestrate
• distrain
• Have
• Own
• feel
• entertain
• accept
• bear
• enjoy
• keep
• Hold
• Keep
• grasp
• retain
• support
• restrain
• defend
• maintain
• occupy
• sustain
• regard
• consider
• cohere
• continue
• have
• Inherit
• Occupy
• Possess
• hold
• acknowledge
• avow
• admit
• confess

Possible antonyms: (opposite words of POSSESS)

• Miss
• overlook
• disregard
• despise
• dislike
• contemn
• hate
• loathe
• misconsider
• misconceive
• misestimate
• misjudge
• Drop
• betray
• surrender
• abandon
• discontinue
• oppose
• discourage
• weaken
• exhaust
• thwart
• discountenance
• disfavor
• subvert
• suppress

Related words: (words related to POSSESS)

• CONFESSION
  The act of disclosing sins or faults to a priest in order to obtain sacramental absolution. Auricular confession . . . or the private and special confession of sins to a priest for the purpose of obtaining his absolution. Hallam. 4. A formulary
• DISREGARDFULLY
  Negligently; heedlessly.
• MAINTAIN
  by the hand; main hand + F. tenir to hold . See 1. To hold or keep in any particular state or condition; to support; to sustain; to uphold; to keep up; not to suffer to fail or decline; as, to maintain a certain degree of heat in a furnace;
• SUSTAIN
  F. soutenir (the French prefix is properly fr. L. subtus below, fr. sub under), L. sustinere; pref. sus- + tenere to hold. See 1. To keep from falling; to bear; to uphold; to support; as, a foundation sustains the superstructure; a beast sustains
• ACCEPTABLE
  Capable, worthy, or sure of being accepted or received with pleasure; pleasing to a receiver; gratifying; agreeable; welcome; as, an acceptable present, one acceptable to us.
• SUPPORTABLE
  Capable of being supported, maintained, or endured; endurable. -- Sup*port"a*ble*ness, n. -- Sup*port"a*bly, adv.
• MISJUDGE
  To judge erroneously or unjustly; to err in judgment; to misconstrue.
• POSSESSIVE
  Of or pertaining to possession; having or indicating possession. Possessive case , the genitive case; the case of nouns and pronouns which expresses ownership, origin, or some possessive relation of one thing to another; as, Homer's admirers; the
• ADMITTER
  One who admits.
• CONFESSER
  One who makes a confession.
• SUPPORTATION
  Maintenance; support. Chaucer. Bacon.
• ACCEPT
  To receive as obligatory and promise to pay; as, to accept a bill of exchange. Bouvier. 6. In a deliberate body, to receive in acquittance of a duty imposed; bill , to agree to pay it when due. -- To accept service , to agree that a writ or
• RESTRAINABLE
  Capable of being restrained; controllable. Sir T. Browne.
• CONSIDERINGLY
  With consideration or deliberation.
• INHERITABILITY
  The quality of being inheritable or descendible to heirs. Jefferson.
• SUPPRESSOR
  One who suppresses.
• DISTRAINER
  See DISTRAINOR
• SUSTAINABLE
  Capable of being sustained or maintained; as, the action is not sustainable.
• CONFESSIONALISM
  An exaggerated estimate of the importance of giving full assent to any particular formula of the Christian faith. Shaff.
• DISCONTINUE
  To interrupt the continuance of; to intermit, as a practice or habit; to put an end to; to cause to cease; to cease using, to stop; to leave off. Set up their conventicles again, which had been discontinued. Bp. Burnet. I have discontinued school
• UNCONSIDERED
  Not considered or attended to; not regarded; inconsiderable; trifling. A snapper-up of unconsidered trifles. Shak.
• INCONSIDERATION
  Want of due consideration; inattention to consequences; inconsiderateness. Blindness of mind, inconsideration, precipitation. Jer. Taylor. Not gross, willful, deliberate, crimes; but rather the effects of inconsideration. Sharp.