repossess

verb re·pos·sess \ ˌrē-pə-ˈzes also -ˈses \

Definition of repossess

transitive verb

1 a :to regain possession of

b :to take possession of (something bought) from a buyer in default of the payment of installments due

2 :to restore to possession

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repossession

play \-ˈze-shən also -ˈse-\ noun

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repossessor

play \-ˈze-sər also -ˈse-\ noun

See repossess defined for English-language learners

See repossess defined for kids

Examples of repossess in a Sentence

The bank repossessed her truck.
if you don't pay off the loan, the bank will come and repossess your car

Recent Examples of repossess from the Web

The company’s Chapter 7 bankruptcy liquidation prevents creditors from collecting debts or repossessing property on their own.

— marcia heroux pounds, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Alfred Angelo brides out of luck again — dresses to be auctioned in bulk, not individually," 28 Aug. 2017
The High Court fired another senator who had breached the rules twice by being bankrupt and having a criminal record for stealing the keys from a tow truck to prevent his truck from being repossessed three years ago.

— rod mcguirk, The Seattle Times, "4th Australian senator sent to court under eligibility cloud," 9 Aug. 2017
For some 20,000 people who had their cars and trucks repossessed, Wells Fargo will pay out about $16 million in refunds.

— david muller, Car and Driver, "Car-Insurance Customers to Be Refunded Millions as Wells Fargo Wades through Scandals," 9 Aug. 2017
The additional costs of the insurance could have led to as many as 20,000 vehicles being repossessed.

— leada gore, AL.com, "570,000 Wells Fargo customers with auto loans eligible for refunds," 28 July 2017
Actually, the buses had been repossessed, The Star determined.

— donna mcguire and judy l. thomas, kansascity, "Party buses promise a good time, but some can be dangerous — even deadly," 27 July 2017
Lomto attorney Andreou said the credit unions would prefer modifying the loans to repossessing the medallions, which are then resold in auction.

— robert channick, chicagotribune.com, "Chicago taxi drivers protest medallion foreclosures as ride-sharing booms," 18 July 2017
The car got repossessed and investigators found the box containing Walker's ashes in the backseat.

— cory shaffer, cleveland.com, "Wife of slain Cleveland firefighter convicted of murder-for-hire plot," 7 July 2017
That’s what businessman Charles Wang and his family learn when almost everything but their car is repossessed.

— sam gillette, PEOPLE.com, "Khloé Kardashian’s 4 Must-Have Beach Reads Worth Diving Into This Summer," 29 June 2017

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

First Known Use of repossess

15th century

repossess Synonyms

Synonyms

get back, reacquire, recapture, reclaim, re-collect, recoup, regain, recover, retake, retrieve

Related Words

recruit, replenish; redeem, repurchase; rescue

Near Antonyms

lose, mislay, misplace

REPOSSESS Defined for English Language Learners

repossess

verb

Definition of repossess for English Language Learners

: to take (something) back from a buyer because payments are not being made

Law Dictionary

repossess

transitive verb re·pos·sess \ ˌrē-pə-ˈzes \

legal Definition of repossess

:to regain possession of; especially :to take possession of again by judicial process or self-help upon default of the payment of installments due — compare foreclose, seize 2

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