possession

noun pos·ses·sion \ pə-ˈze-shən also -ˈse- \

Updated on: 17 Apr 2018

Definition of possession

1 a : the act of having or taking into control

b : control or occupancy of property without regard to ownership

c : ownership

d : control of the ball or puck; also : an instance of having such control (as in football)

scored on their first two possessions

2 : something owned, occupied, or controlled : property

3 a : domination by something (such as an evil spirit, a passion, or an idea)

b : a psychological state in which an individual's normal personality is replaced by another

c : self-possession

—

possessional

play \pə-ˈzesh-nəl, -ˈze-shə-nᵊl also -ˈsesh-nəl or -ˈse-shə-nᵊl\ adjective

—

possessionless

play \pə-ˈze-shən-ləs, -ˈse-\ adjective

See possession defined for English-language learners

See possession defined for kids

Examples of possession in a Sentence

The city can take possession of the abandoned buildings.
She came into possession of a rare silver coin.
The family lost all of its possessions in the fire.
This ring was my mother's most precious possession.
The defendant was charged with heroin possession.

Recent Examples of possession from the Web

Two men were arrested Wednesday after they were allegedly caught in possession of almost 60 pounds of methamphetamine at a Fuddruckers near Katy Mills Mall.

— dana burke, Houston Chronicle, "$135K in meth seized in bust near Katy Mills Mall," 13 Apr. 2018
Winston, 41, is now charged in U.S. District Court with being a felon in possession of a firearm.

— tony rizzo, kansascity, "Video of blindfolded man with gun to head in KC leads to federal charge | The Kansas City Star," 12 Apr. 2018
The man pictured, Marqual Montgomery, is wanted for being a felon in possession of firearm or ammunition.

— Sun-Sentinel.com, "CRIME," 12 Apr. 2018
This policy also applies to searches of business organizations where such searches involve materials in the possession of individuals serving in the capacity of legal advisor to the organization.

— stephen a. crockett jr., The Root, "Kellyanne Conway, Is This Your Husband? If So, You Need to Get Him Off Twitter ’Cause He’s Destroying Your Boss," 10 Apr. 2018
Thanks to the Miami Heat’s loss Monday night, the Bucks (44-37) sit in sole possession of sixth place in the Eastern Conference.

— josh robbins, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Bucks' second-half surge drops Magic 102-86," 10 Apr. 2018
As the first half wore on, Chievo drifted deeper and deeper, inviting on pressure from Napoli as the team from Verona struggled to gain a foothold in the game - with so few spells in possession, Chievo looked at risk of tiring.

— SI.com, "Napoli 2-1 Chievo: Gli Azzurri Keep Serie A Title Race Alive With Dramatic Win Over Gialloblu," 8 Apr. 2018
Collins pleaded not guilty Thursday to murder and felon in possession of a firearm, records show.

— jim ryan, OregonLive.com, "Second man arrested in fatal downtown Portland shooting," 5 Apr. 2018
Five men were arrested on suspicion of charges that included possessing drugs for sale with a firearm, being a felon in possession of a firearm, operating a hash oil lab and child endangerment, Rinder said.

— lyndsay winkley, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Five arrested in raid on hash oil lab in Lakeside," 5 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'possession.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of possession

14th century

possession Synonyms

POSSESSION Defined for English Language Learners

possession

noun

Definition of possession for English Language Learners

: the condition of having or owning something
: something that is owned or possessed by someone
law : the crime of having something that is illegal (such as a drug or weapon)

POSSESSION Defined for Kids

possession

noun pos·ses·sion \ pə-ˈze-shən \

Definition of possession for Students

1 : the condition of having or owning something

The will is in my possession.

2 : something that is held by someone as property

a valuable possession

Law Dictionary

possession

noun pos·ses·sion \ pə-ˈze-shən \

legal Definition of possession

1 : the act, fact, or condition of having control of something: as

a : actual possession in this entry

b : constructive possession in this entry

c : knowing dominion and control over a controlled substance or other contraband

d in the civil law of Louisiana : the detention or enjoyment of a corporeal thing

e : control or occupancy of property

— actual possession

1 : direct occupancy, use, or control of real property

had actual possession of the land despite a lack of legal title

2 : direct physical custody, care, or control of property or contraband (as illegal drugs)

actual possession is not necessary to sustain a conviction
—State v. Garrison, 896 S.W.2d 689 (1995)

— adverse possession

: actual possession of another's real property that is open, hostile, exclusive, continuous, adverse to the claim of the owner, often under a claim of right or color of title, and that may give rise to title in the possessor if carried out for a specified statutory period (as ten years); also : the method of acquiring title by such possession — see also hostile possession and notorious possession in this entry — compare prescription

— civil possession

in the civil law of Louisiana : possession that exists by virtue of an intent to be the owner of a property even though one no longer occupies or has physical control of it

— constructive possession

1 : possession that exists by virtue of a right (as by title) rather than direct occupancy or control

2 : the knowing ability and sometimes intent to exercise dominion and control over something (as illegal drugs) either directly or through others

— hostile possession

: possession (as in adverse possession) that is antagonistic to the claims of all others (as a record owner) and that is carried out with the intention to possess the property exclusively

— notorious possession

: possession (as in adverse possession) that is so conspicuous that it is generally known by people in the vicinity of the property and so gives rise to a presumption that the owner has notice of it

— precarious possession

in the civil law of Louisiana : possession of property that is exercised by another (as a lessee) with the permission of or on behalf of the owner — see also acquisitive prescription at prescription

2 : something controlled, occupied, or owned