POSSESSING Synonyms: 34 Similar and Opposite Words

possessing

verb

present participle of possess

as in owning

to keep, control, or experience as one's own she possesses a keen insight into people

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 possessing The Braves went from potentially losing Chris Sale’s start and seeing their season on the brink to now possessing the upper hand, well positioned to finally get the last laugh on their northern rivals. — Gabriel Burns, AJC.com, 30 Sep. 2026 The Tennessee man accused of killing a Kentucky state trooper was on probation and already wanted for a violation, with a criminal record that included assault, fraud and illegally possessing a gun. — Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 30 Sep. 2026 Among the new laws is AB 2760, which bars law enforcement agencies from possessing or using wearable electroshock devices, including gloves designed to deliver an electric shock. — Cecilio Padilla, CBS News, 29 Sep. 2026 For anyone who came of age with those compilations, the appeal is less about owning rare vinyl in pristine condition than possessing a physical artifact from the process that made the music. — Spin Staff, SPIN, 29 Sep. 2026 He was later arrested on state charges of possessing a weapon of mass destruction for an act of terrorism and conspiring to or making a bomb threat. — Jeff Winter, CNN Money, 28 Sep. 2026 Guzman was also charged with possessing a device for using, injecting or ingesting drugs, according to the complaint. — Fedor Zarkhin, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2026 Gomez agreed on Monday to plead guilty to two counts of possessing child pornography, and in exchange, the other eight charges against him were dropped, court records obtained by the Idaho Statesman showed. — Alex Brizee, Idaho Statesman, 18 Sep. 2026 Fuentes is charged with receiving and possessing ransom money, which carries a maximum of 10 years in prison. — Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 15 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for possessing

Verb

Trust is owning the outcome and holding the relationship, putting your name on it.

— Manu Khetan, Forbes.com, 1 Oct. 2026
As of Wednesday morning, the fundraiser, which caused some controversy due Hilton still owning a $4 million home in Las Vegas, had reached almost $15,000 of its $25,000 goal.

— Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of owning

Verb

People don't want to go around changing their Clocks anymore and, besides, far and away, most people like having an hour of extra sunlight in the evening, rather than in the morning.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026
The Liberty had a rough regular season in the WNBA, falling to eighth place despite having several women’s basketball headliners on the roster.

— Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of having

Verb

The key is to allocate capital according to where care is moving, while retaining sufficient capacity for complex and emergency cases.

— Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 2 Oct. 2026
City leaders have also pointed to the city’s high housing costs and difficulty retaining middle-income workers and families.

— Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of retaining

Verb

Zada is also the rare actor who admits to watching his own performances—and enjoying them.

— Rebecca Ford, Vanity Fair, 2 Oct. 2026
With the bread flour, the end result is a lovely, crowd-pleasing bun that’s great for snacking on its own or enjoying alongside a special holiday meal.

— Hana Asbrink, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of enjoying

Browse Nearby Words

possesses

possessing

possession

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Possessing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/possessing. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of possessing

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

regimen

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes