Word: possess Part of Speech: verb Etymology: PIE word *pótis From Middle English possessen (“to have, own; to obtain possession of; to inhabit, occupy”) [and other forms], from Middle French possesser, possessier, Old French possesser, possessier (“to have, own, possess; to dominate”), from Latin possessus (“possessed; seized”), the perfect passive participle of possideō (“to have, hold, own, possess; to have possessions; to take control or possession of, occupy, seize; to abide, inhabit, occupy; to dominate”), from potis (“able, capable, possible”) (from Proto-Indo-European *pótis (“master; ruler; husband”)) + sedeō (“to sit; to be seated; to be established, hold firm”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *sed- (“to sit”)). Pronunciation: /pəˈzɛs/, /pəˈzes/ 1. To have (something) as, or as if as, an owner; to have, to own. Labels: transitive Example: He does not even possess a working telephone. Example: For men being generally poſſeſſed before the time of our Saviour, […] of an opinion, that the Souls of men were ſubſtances diſtinct from their Bodies, and therefore that when the Body was dead, the Soule of every man, whether godly, or wicked, muſt ſubſiſt ſomewhere by vertue of its own nature, without acknowledging therein any ſupernaturall gift of Gods; the Doctors of the Church doubted a long time, what was the place, which they were to abide in, till they ſhould be re-united to their Bodies in the Reſurrection; […] 2. Of an idea, thought, etc.: to dominate (someone's mind); to strongly influence. Labels: transitive Example: I am poſſeſt with an adulterate blot, / My bloud is mingled with the crime of luſt: […] Example: This [suspicion of plague] poſſeſs'd the Heads of the People very much, and few car'd to go thro' Drury-Lane, or the other Streets ſuſpected, unleſs they had extraordinary Buſineſs, that obliged them to it. 3. Of a supernatural entity, especially one regarded as evil: to take control of (an animal or person's body or mind). Labels: transitive Example: They thought he was possessed by evil spirits. Example: If all the diuels of hell be drawne in little, and Legion himſelfe poſſeſt him, yet Ile ſpeake to him. 4. Of a person: to control or dominate (oneself or someone, or one's own or someone's heart, mind, etc.). Labels: also, literary, poetic, reflexive, transitive Example: Resolving to possess myself in some quiet if it might be, in a time of so great jealosy, I built by my Brother's permission a study, made a fishpond, an island, and some other solitudes and retirements, at Wotton, which gave the first occasion of improving them to those water-works and gardens which afterwards succeeded them. Example: Uneasy persons, who cannot possess their own minds, vent their spleen upon all who depend upon them; […] 5. Of a person: to control or dominate (oneself or someone, or one's own or someone's heart, mind, etc.). Labels: also, literary, poetic, reflexive, transitive Example: Now tell me how long you would haue her, after you haue poſſeſt her? Example: She leads him towards the steps, drawing him by the odour of her armpits, the vice of her painted eyes, the rustle of her slip in whose sinuous folds lurks the lion reek of all the male brutes that have possessed her. 6. To cause an idea, thought, etc., to strongly affect or influence (someone); to inspire, to preoccupy. Labels: archaic, transitive Example: What on earth possessed you to go walking by the quarry at midnight? Example: My eares are ſtopt, & cannot hear good newes, / So much of bad already hath poſſeſt them. 7. To occupy the attention or time of (someone). Labels: archaic, transitive Example: [W]hen he [Henry Wotton] was beyond ſeventy years of age he made this deſcription of a part of the preſent pleaſure that poſſeſt him, […] Example: [M]y Head quite was turn'd with the Whimſies of foreign Adventures, and all the pleaſant Amuſements of my Farm, and my Garden, my Cattle, and my Family, which before entirely poſſeſt me, were nothing to me, had no Reliſh, and were like Muſick to one that has no Ear, or Food to one that has no Taſte: […] 8. To obtain or seize (something); to gain, to win. Labels: also, archaic, literary, transitive Example: [T]hey in ſecret counſell cloſe conſpird, / How to effect ſo hard an enterprize, / And to poſſeſſe the purpoſe they deſird: […] Example: [T]here thou maiſt braine him, / Hauing firſt ſeiz'd his bookes: […] Remember / Firſt to poſſeſſe his Bookes; for without them / Hee's but a Sot, as I am; […] 9. Chiefly followed by of or with: to vest ownership of something in (oneself or someone); to bestow upon, to endow. Labels: also, archaic, reflexive, transitive Example: Lvcius Tarquinius (for his exceſſive pride ſurnamed Superbus) after hee had cauſed his owne father in law Seruius Tullius to be cruelly murdred, and contrarie to the Romaine lawes and cuſtomes, not requiring or ſtaying for the peoples ſuffrages, had poſſeſſed himſelfe of the kingdome: […] Example: And for theſe great affaires do aske ſome charge, / Tovvards our aſsiſtance vve doe ſeaze to vs: / The Plate, coine, reuenevves, and moueables / VVhereof our Vnckle Gaunt did ſtand poſſeſt. 10. To have control or possession of, but not to own (a chattel or an interest in land). Labels: transitive 11. To give (someone) information or knowledge; to acquaint, to inform. Labels: obsolete, transitive Example: I cannot bid you bid my daughter liue, / That were impoſſible, but I pray you both, / Poſſeſs the people in Meſſina here, / How innocent ſhe died, […] Example: To[by Belch]. Poſſeſſe vs, poſſeſſe vs, tell vs ſomething of him. / Mar[ia]. Marrie ſir, ſometimes he is a kinde of Puritane. 12. To have the ability to use, or knowledge of (a language, a skill, etc.) Labels: obsolete, transitive Example: And Mr. Holt found that Harry could read and write, and poſſeſſed the two languages of French and Engliſh very well, […] 13. To inhabit or occupy (a place). Labels: obsolete, transitive Example: [W]ell thou knowſt / God hath pronounc't it death to taſte that Tree, / The only ſign of our obedience left / Among ſo many ſignes of power and rule / Conferrd upon us, and Dominion giv'n / Over all other Creatures that poſſeſſe Earth, Aire, and Sea. Example: Wherefore getting out again, on that ſide next to his own Houſe; he [Pliable] told me, I ſhould poſſeſs the brave Countrey alone for him: ſo he went his way, and I came mine. 14. Chiefly followed by that: to convince or persuade (someone). Labels: obsolete, transitive Example: By ſuch malicious Inſinuations, he had poſſeſs'd the Lady, that he was the only Man in the World, of a ſound, pure, and untainted Conſtitution: […] 15. To dominate sexually; to have sexual intercourse with. Labels: intransitive 16. To inhabit or occupy a place. Labels: intransitive Example: Doſt thou thinke in time / She will not quench, and let inſtructions enter / Where Folly now poſſeſſes?