possess

verb

pə-ˈzes How to pronounce possess (audio)
Definition of possessnext
as in to have
to keep, control, or experience as one's own she possesses a keen insight into people

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of possess In recent years, the state has pursued some public health interventions but has leaned heavily on increasing criminal penalties for using and possessing fentanyl. — Joshua Barocas, The Conversation, 16 Oct. 2026 In Jennifer’s Body, Needy (Seyfried) is BFFs with the titular mean girl played by Fox, whose body becomes possessed by a succubus with a taste for teen boys after a botched sacrifice by a devil-worshipping boy band (led by Adam Brody). — Glenn Garner, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2026 The next compute divide may not separate enterprises that possess quantum computers from those that do not. — Rajjie Sarmey, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026 His release conditions prohibit him from possessing or using firearms, contacting Goldfein or consuming alcohol. — Raul Trey Lopez, San Antonio Express-News, 16 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for possess
Recent Examples of Synonyms for possess
  1. have
  2. retain
  3. own
  4. enjoy
Verb
  • At the Fondation Cartier, people will have free access to them.
    — Gameli Hamelo, ARTnews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Sullivan denied that the law would cut Medicaid for Alaskans, saying the Affordable Care Act had a greater impact and raised insurance premiums in the state drastically.
    — Matthew Choi The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of have
Verb
  • More sports news Boxing champion Daniel Dubois retained his WBO heavyweight title with a brutal second-round stoppage of Fabio Wardley on Saturday at the O2 Arena in London.
    — Kayla Hayempour, NBC news, 18 Oct. 2026
  • The Connecticut Business and Industry Association’s annual business survey, released in September, found that some 72% of respondents reported having difficulty finding and retaining workers, with skill gaps being a notable part of the problem.
    — P.R. Lockhart, Hartford Courant, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of retain
Verb
  • Nearly two-thirds of young households therefore did not own an asset that accounted for a substantial share of homeowners’ wealth.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2026
  • In Capital in the Twenty-First Century, the French economist Thomas Piketty showed how wealth perpetuates across generations and widens the divide between those who own capital and everyone else.
    — Nicholas Bequelin, Time, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of own
Verb
  • People went through the admission and security checkpoints without issues, and the event’s early evening acts enjoyed mostly dry stages with light, intermittent rain.
    — Isabel Rivera, Miami Herald, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Patel seemed to enjoy the process, even though many people did not answer their doors and most of those who did had not heard about the election at all.
    — Benjamin Wallace-Wells, New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of enjoy

Browse Nearby Words

posses
possess
possessed
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Possess.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/possess. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of jilt

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All