Definition of 'possession'
Word forms: plural possessions
1. uncountable noun
3. countable noun [usually plural]
4. uncountable noun
Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
English Easy Learning GrammarShowing possession through nounsHow do you show possession through nouns in English?
What is the function of the possessive form in English?
What are the rules for forming the possessive ... Read more
What is the function of the possessive form in English?
What are the rules for forming the possessive ... Read more
English Easy Learning GrammarWhat are the rules for forming the possessive apostrophe -s in English?Rules for the formation of the possessive -’s (apostrophe -s) and -s’ (-s apostrophe)
are as follows:
most singular nouns add an apostrophe + -s.
a girl’s ring ... Read more
most singular nouns add an apostrophe + -s.
a girl’s ring ... Read more
British English pronunciation
American English pronunciation
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Word Frequency
possession in British English
noun
2.
anything that is owned or possessed
4.
5.
to take possession of a house
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Word Frequency
possession in American English
noun
1.
a possessing or being possessed, as by ownership or occupancy; hold
2.
anything possessed
3. [pl.]
property; wealth
4.
territory ruled by an outside country
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Derived forms
possessional (posˈsessional)
adjective
Word origin
OFr < L possessioWord Frequency
possession in American English
(pəˈzeʃən)
noun
SYNONYMS 1. tenure, occupation. 1, 3. See custody.1.
the act or fact of possessing
2.
the state of being possessed
3.
ownership
5.
a thing possessed
He packed all his possessions into one trunk
6. See possessions
7.
a territorial dominion of a state
8. Sport
a.
physical control of the ball or puck by a player or team
He didn't have full possession when he was tackled
b.
the right of a team to put the ball into play
They had possession after the other team sank a free throw
9.
control over oneself, one's mind, etc
10.
11.
the feeling or idea itself
Most material © 2005, 1997, 1991 by Penguin Random House LLC. Modified entries © 2019
by Penguin Random House LLC and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Word origin
[1300–50; ME ‹ L possessiōn- (s. of possessiō) occupancy, act of occupying, equiv. to possess(us), ptp. of possidēre to have in one's control, occupy (and, in active sense, ptp. of posīdere to seize upon) (*pots-, akin to posse to be able + -sidēre, comb. form of sedēre to sit1; cf. host1) + -iōn- -ion]Examples of 'possession' in a sentence
possession
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In other languages
possession
British English: possession
/pəˈzɛʃən/ NOUN
retention If you are in possessionof something, you have it, because you have obtained it or because it belongs to you.
Those documents are now in the possession of a national newspaper.
- American English: possession /pəˈzɛʃən/
- Arabic: إِمْتِلاك
- Brazilian Portuguese: posse
- Chinese: 拥有物
- Croatian: vlasništvo
- Czech: vlastnictí
- Danish: besiddelse
- Dutch: bezit
- European Spanish: posesión
- Finnish: omistus
- French: possession
- German: Besitztum
- Greek: κτήση
- Italian: possesso
- Japanese: 所有
- Korean: 소유
- Norwegian: eiendel
- Polish: posiadanie
- European Portuguese: posse
- Romanian: posesie
- Russian: обладание
- Latin American Spanish: posesión
- Swedish: ägodel
- Thai: การครอบครอง
- Turkish: mülkiyet
- Ukrainian: володіння
- Vietnamese: sự sỡ hữu
British English: possession
NOUN /pəˈzɛʃən/
belongings Your possessions are the things that you own or have with you at a particular time.
People had lost their homes and all their possessions.
- American English: possession /pəˈzɛʃən/
- Brazilian Portuguese: posse
- Chinese: 拥有
- European Spanish: posesión
- French: possession
- German: Besitz
- Italian: possesso
- Japanese: 所有物
- Korean: 재산
- European Portuguese: posse
- Latin American Spanish: posesión
- Thai: ทรัพย์สมบัติที่ครอบครอง
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Definition of possession from the Collins English Dictionary
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