1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

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 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 However, within 20 minutes, the judge cancelled it after learning Pennsylvania State Police filed seven new charges of being prohibited from possessing a firearm. — Lauren Linder, CBS News, 16 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 Derico Lowery, 31, was charged with first-degree murder and possessing a firearm as a felon in connection with the death of De’Tavion Marques Levi, 28, of Des Moines. — Kyle Werner, Des Moines Register, 11 Sep. 2026 Pennsylvania does not have a statewide law that broadly prohibits adults from possessing alcohol outdoors. — Gabby Sartori, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2026 Joshua Wasson, 25, of Jasper, pleaded guilty in Dubois Circuit Court to one Level 6 felony count of intimidation and misdemeanor charges of possessing marijuana and paraphernalia. — Casey Smith, IndyStar, 9 Sep. 2026 Kane and colleagues found that possessing an intimidating size wouldn't guarantee a Venusian moon's survival, either. — Robert Lea, Space.com, 8 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for possessing
  1. owning
  2. having
  3. retaining
  4. enjoying
Verb
  • This is the difference between competing for a market and owning one.
    — Matthew Kayser, Miami Herald, 24 Sep. 2026
  • For me, luxury has never been simply about owning something expensive, exclusive or desirable to everyone else.
    — Anna Vladimirova, Forbes.com, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of owning
Verb
  • On a longer flight, having some additional neck support can make a significant difference.
    — Julie Rousseau, Travel + Leisure, 26 Sep. 2026
  • The big difference is space, with the standard room having a footprint of 350 square feet, whereas the suite has an additional 500 square feet to spread out.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of having
Verb
  • Singh is serious about his craft, thinking long and hard about how to create a sound that feels recognizably country while retaining a Punjabi folk soul.
    — Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Originally launched in 1990, this hiking shoe has been reinterpreted for the fall/winter 2026 season with a modernized construction while retaining its distinctive silhouette.
    — Stephen Garner, Footwear News, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of retaining
Verb
  • Three gunmen barged into a small house in an impoverished neighborhood in South Africa and opened fire on a group enjoying a party inside, killing at least 11 people including a pregnant woman, police and local authorities said Wednesday.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Another shot showed Meghan, McKee Zajfen and Meghan’s longtime friend Marcus Anderson enjoying a game of mahjong and glasses of wine in the backyard.
    — Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of enjoying

Browse Nearby Words

possesses
possessing
possession
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Possessing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/possessing. Accessed 27 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

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

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 25
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of the words cracker fly and sale arranged in a triangle with the word fire in the middle
Triple Play Quiz Find the word that pairs with each of the three g...
See All