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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in belongings
possessions plural
transportable items that one owns
we packed up all of our possessions and excitedly moved into a new house
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in occupancy
the act or fact of residing in a place
squatters had established possession in the abandoned warehouse
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Others taken into custody include Mexican nationals Ricardo Gervasio-Gervasio, Pedro Navajas-Contreras, Uriel Alvarez-Meneses and Arturo Guzman, who have a number of previous convictions for crimes including possession of cocaine and driving under the influence.
—
Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Oct. 2025
One of the sacks came on a must-have third down on the Dolphins’ final possession of the game.
—Miami Herald, 7 Oct. 2025
Maybe ethics is closer, an ethics of noticing, of seeing, without certainty and without possession.
—Literary Hub, 7 Oct. 2025
It should also be noted that all four of the Wildcats’ losses were by a single possession.
—Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for possession
Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Oct. 2025
One of the sacks came on a must-have third down on the Dolphins’ final possession of the game.
—Miami Herald, 7 Oct. 2025
Maybe ethics is closer, an ethics of noticing, of seeing, without certainty and without possession.
—Literary Hub, 7 Oct. 2025
It should also be noted that all four of the Wildcats’ losses were by a single possession.
—Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for possession
Recent Examples of Synonyms for possession
Noun
-
The land changed hands as developers pitched grand ideas to no avail.—
Alysa Guffey,
IndyStar,
2 Oct. 2025
-
Switzerland, like Germany, built its 20th-century industrial economy on training and valuing all types of workers—those that work with their hands and those that work at a desk.—
Peter Vanham,
Fortune,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The spaces are smaller, with lower benches, and the older players, flitting between dressing rooms for U14s and U12s, have had to take their belongings home each day rather than leave them in lockers due to the carousel of teams moving in and out.—
Laurie Whitwell,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
-
Was there an auction for Ed Gein's belongings after he was arrested?—
JR Radcliffe,
jsonline.com,
6 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
That suit, which Lukenbill’s attorneys Brad Carroll and Michael Laino filed July 11, was primarily concerned with stopping efforts by the city to limit occupancy at the bar.—
Graham Womack,
Sacbee.com,
3 Oct. 2025
-
Earlier this year, FilmLA reported that sound stage occupancy is down by 63% while on-location production continues to decline as well.—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Set within the magical world of Harry Potter, this interactive book features two detachable plush characters, a peek-a-boo flap, textured pages, and other sensory elements for baby’s enjoyment.—
Pamela Brill,
Parents,
2 Oct. 2025
-
Their goal was to create detergents and fabric care items that not only perform at the highest level but also bring a sense of refinement and enjoyment to the daily routine.—
Wyles Daniel,
AZCentral.com,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Kershaw may be in slightly new surroundings, but some things don’t change.—
Fabian Ardaya,
New York Times,
4 Oct. 2025
-
For more on the Dallas Cowboys and all things NFL, head over to Newsweek Sports.—
Reice Shipley,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Spanish bakers brought European bread-making techniques, which were later influenced by French baking during the 19th century under Emperor Maximilian and the French occupation.—
Tiffany Acosta,
AZCentral.com,
1 Oct. 2025
-
But as the text reads, no Palestinian living under occupation will feel reassured that citizenship of any state will be available to them in the foreseeable future.—
Hussein Ibish,
The Atlantic,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
But don’t fret, there’s good stuff too, like Jacory Croskey-Merritt saving the day.—
Jake Ciely,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
-
But, man, there was plenty of weird stuff in that game.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
7 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
But there are significant differences between their ideas of cosmic habitation.—
Jackie Wattles,
CNN Money,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Lee would sometimes visit Anderson at the Highland Chateau health and rehabilitation center in Highland Park, where she had been relocated with some objection after her Surrey Avenue property was deemed unfit for human habitation.—
Frederick Melo,
Twin Cities,
10 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Possession.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/possession. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share