possession

noun

pə-ˈze-shən How to pronounce possession (audio)
Definition of possessionnext
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 When France were in possession, every passing lane appeared closed. — Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 18 July 2026 The All Blacks kept possession, moved the ball toward space and Patrick Tuipulotu scored to mark his first test of the season. — ABC News, 18 July 2026 State prison records show Milton has previously done years behind bars for burglary, retail theft, drug possession, armed robbery and aggravated battery, among other convictions, stretching back to the late 1990s. — Dan Petrella, Chicago Tribune, 18 July 2026 Prosecutors also cited his possession of $15,000 in cash, four cell phones, two driver’s licenses, camping gear, and a stash of Viagra. — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 18 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for possession
Recent Examples of Synonyms for possession
  1. hands
  2. belongings
  3. occupancy
  4. enjoyment
  5. things
  6. occupation
  7. stuff
  8. habitation
Noun
  • McNeeley had the ball in his hands a lot, and that was by design.
    — Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 18 July 2026
  • And in the coming years, humanoid robots with dexterous hands will automate the other parts of lab work, such as handling mice, or slicing thin layers of tissue.
    — Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 17 July 2026
Definition of hands
Noun
  • Other survivors and family members of victims of the fire visited a police station on Wednesday to seek compensation, gather belongings and give their testimony.
    — Tian Macleod Ji, Los Angeles Times, 15 July 2026
  • The affidavit alleges that after Erving drowned, Roper and the juvenile fled the scene in Roper's vehicle and then discarded some of Erving's belongings.
    — Deena Zaru, ABC News, 14 July 2026
Definition of belongings
Noun
  • New York City had hotels reporting higher occupancy and prices per room from the tournament, according to the New York Fed.
    — Alex Harring, CNBC, 15 July 2026
  • Overstreet said substantial construction of the facility is expected to be completed next week, and it could be approved for occupancy a week later.
    — Dylan Lysen, Kansas City Star, 14 July 2026
Definition of occupancy
Noun
  • Despite a slight weight penalty, the Spider’s open-top experience is unmatched, blending power with driving enjoyment.
    — Jerry Perez, The Drive, 15 July 2026
  • On its face, reading is a form of stress-reducing enjoyment that is exceptionally convenient and, thanks to public libraries, even free.
    — Jen Benka, Time, 14 July 2026
Definition of enjoyment
Noun
  • So, if things don’t go well for New York/New Jersey on Sunday afternoon for the World Cup final, don’t be surprised if DFW is circled when the World Cup inevitably returns to the United States — possibly as soon as 2038.
    — Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 July 2026
  • Amanda did say that the resurgence of Loverboy had nothing to do with Kyle and was more about how much people hate her, which just reconfirms the worst things about Amanda that people on the internet say.
    — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 15 July 2026
Definition of things
Noun
  • Meanwhile, demand for workers in occupations facing the largest shortages, from skilled trades to certain healthcare roles, is only going to grow.
    — Svenja Gudell, Fortune, 18 July 2026
  • This system considered factors such as race, occupation, and income — a practice now known as redlining.
    — Michelle Oliva-Espinosa, Kansas City Star, 18 July 2026
Definition of occupation
Noun
  • At 15 years old, Boubacar Sidibe already had a good grip on this firefighting stuff at Monday's first day of camp.
    — Noel Brennan, CBS News, 13 July 2026
  • The Five Star Weekend (Peacock) Jennifer Garner’s new series, The Five Star Weekend, based on the novel by Elin Hilderbrand, is about a woman who invites friends from her past to visit her luxury Nantucket estate for a weekend of girl stuff.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 12 July 2026
Definition of stuff
Noun
  • He is credited as the first and most significant contributor to South Florida archaeology of the time, classifying materials, recording 49 sites across Miami-Dade and making the first outline of a chronology of indigenous habitation.
    — Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 30 June 2026
  • Combined with Cape Ann’s northeasterly location along the East Coast jutting out into the Atlantic, the lighthouse would have been one of the first signs of human habitation people making the trip from Western Europe to America would have seen.
    — Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026
Definition of habitation

Browse Nearby Words

possessing
possession
possessionless
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Possession.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/possession. Accessed 20 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on possession

Nglish: Translation of possession for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about possession

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!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of raffish

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

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

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

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?
See More

Popular

See More

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

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
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
child-detective
Spot the Misspelled Word July 2026 Those little red underlines can't help you now...
See All