possession

1
as in hands
the fact or state of having (something) at one's disposal a student who was found to have several overdue library books in his possession

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2
3
as in occupancy
the act or fact of residing in a place squatters had established possession in the abandoned warehouse

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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 possession Teams start a possession at their 20-yard line — and when a team punts, there’s no kicking. Benjamin Royer, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2025 Reilly, a federally licensed firearms dealer, has been charged with assault in the first degree, the criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree, and the criminal possession of a firearm, according to police. Karina Tsui, CNN Money, 7 May 2025 Law enforcement arrested and charged the owner of the car, 55-year-old Victoria Vidal, with drug possession and three counts of drug paraphernalia and cited her for driving under suspension, the police department said. Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 7 May 2025 But with the game on the line in crunch time, Anunoby forced a Cunningham mid-range miss, Bridges forced a Cunningham turnover on a drive to the rim, then Anunoby forced another mid-range miss on the game’s final possession. Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 27 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for possession
Recent Examples of Synonyms for possession
Noun
  • However, those expenses would almost always be offset by rents received in the first few months of occupancy.
    Thomas Elias, Mercury News, 25 Apr. 2025
  • The allegations stem from a certificate of occupancy from the New York City Department of Buildings, dated January 26, 2001, which states that the building has dwellings for five families—one in the basement, one on the first floor, one on the second floor, and two on the third floor.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • There is a kind of enjoyment of all the transgression that is obviously a big part of what the show is.
    Carly Thomas, HollywoodReporter, 29 Apr. 2025
  • Meg’s Corner: Rivalries need time even if entertaining doesn’t Beyond our collective enjoyment from this weekend’s NWSL action, there was a helpful reminder that this league loves to buck off tidy narratives.
    Emily Olsen, New York Times, 29 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • The challenge has always been to figure out how to personalize things without spending inordinate amounts of time and money mapping out every possible path a student might take.
    Ray Ravaglia, Forbes, 28 Dec. 2024
  • As a business owner, higher profit margins, all other things being equal, are more valuable.
    Bill Stone, Forbes, 28 Dec. 2024
Noun
  • In a little over a month, the Polish Army was defeated, and the country of Poland came under Nazi and Soviet occupation.
    Paul Hockenos, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 May 2025
  • Vita's Ukrainian mother (my grandmother) survived as an orphan for two years under German occupation and barely evaded being carted off to Germany to work as a forced laborer.
    Sasha Vasilyuk, Time, 8 May 2025
Noun
  • Here’s how to build nonlinear thinking into your day: For anyone and everyone: • Feed your brain weird stuff.
    Lee Salisbury, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025
  • This team enjoys that stuff, which is cool and fun.
    Patrick Mooney, New York Times, 29 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • The base itself was a study in the feasibility of long-term human habitation on the ice sheet.
    Katie Hunt, CNN, 15 Mar. 2025
  • All of this is now possible thanks to an advanced 3D printing-welding approach that can print these large habitation structures.
    IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 31 Dec. 2024

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Cite this Entry

“Possession.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/possession. Accessed 13 May. 2025.

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