prepossessing
adjective
Did you know?
If you've heard of the word unprepossessing, it probably comes as no surprise to you that there's also a prepossessing. You may not know, however, that both derive from the verb prepossess, which is also still used in English, although it's quite rare. When prepossess first appeared in print in English in the early 17th century it meant "to take previous possession of," but that sense is now obsolete. The adjective prepossessing came into use later in that century and is based on a later sense, "to influence favorably beforehand." Someone or something that is prepossessing, therefore, makes a good first impression.
Examples of prepossessing in a Sentence
Nathan Heller, Vogue, 14 Oct. 2025
The novel is a coming-of-age tale in which becoming an adult is defined as learning how to lie, how to smooth facts, events, even oneself into a more prepossessing form.
—Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 17 Jan. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Prepossessing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prepossessing. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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