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 His criminal record includes pleading guilty in 2021 to felony possession with intent to sell Schedule II narcotics, which resulted in a prison sentence of two years and nine months, court documents say. — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 21 Aug. 2026 After a New York City childhood spent with their loving adoptive father, Annie (Ella Rubin) and her brother Connor (Keen Ruffalo) find themselves in possession of Sterling Point, a remote island in Ontario’s Muskoka region. — Connor Sturges, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Aug. 2026 An Oklahoma man was booked into a Florida Keys jail after a Monroe County deputy found him in possession of six queen conchs on Thursday night, the sheriff’s office said. — David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 21 Aug. 2026 Yorba Linda scored first on the Mustangs’ game-opening possession. — Steve Fryer, Oc Register, 21 Aug. 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
  • That afternoon, the president, inside the exposition’s ornate Temple of Music, greeted members of the public, shaking hands and warmly inviting them to explore the fair.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Mendoza threw high to Jalen Nailor on his second play, and the ball popped into the air into the hands of San Francisco linebacker Tatum Bethune for an interception.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of hands
Noun
  • Home insurance covers your home and belongings from unexpected events like fire, theft or natural disasters.
    — Alora Bopray, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Welcomed by Herky the Hornet, the cheer team and the campus community, the students and their families checked in before unloading their belongings and setting up their new rooms.
    — Tarini Mehta, Sacbee.com, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of belongings
Noun
  • The Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety has not yet produced records IndieWire requested concerning the theater’s recent permits, inspections, code enforcement, occupancy, and work required before reopening.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Water levels and tourism From July 2025 to July 2026, short-term rental occupancy fell by 10% in the nearby City of Page.
    — Swasti Singhai, USA Today, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of occupancy
Noun
  • In 2028, American Airlines will upgrade many of its smaller Airbus and Boeing jets, adding 4K screens with Bluetooth audio to seatbacks for passengers' enjoyment.
    — Rob Pegoraro, PC Magazine, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Evans said Collinson’s research indicates that the ability to rest and decompress at the beginning of a journey can influence the enjoyment that follows.
    — Jeff Fromm, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of enjoyment
Noun
  • When those things do start happening, the scares are every bit as effective as the buildup promises.
    — Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 26 Aug. 2026
  • However, Heaika expects some things in return and isn’t happy to see Ejva fall for his cousin.
    — Marta Balaga, Variety, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of things
Noun
  • Data on climbing salaries shows that a job that pays well at 25 may offer surprisingly little wage growth by 50, while another occupation with a more modest starting point can produce dramatic earnings such as the ones in the Coin Insider analysis.
    — Bryan Robinson, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026
  • The French took control of Menorca from 1756 to 1763, and, as Juaneda tells me, Louis-François-Armand du Plessis, Duke de Richelieu, the commander of the French troops, organized a banquet to commemorate and celebrate the occupation of the island.
    — Lauren David, Travel + Leisure, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of occupation
Noun
  • The comment cards and all that stuff is very challenging, and then people weaponize that in different ways.
    — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Lynch’s massive draft whiffs feel like harmless clerical rounding errors next to his good work in handling all the off-the-field stuff that lands on his desk.
    — Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of stuff
Noun
  • There was no sign of human habitation to be seen from our long terrace; the Daishoji River surged below.
    — Pico Iyer, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Learn About Local Cultures Route 89 passes through several areas that have a rich history of human habitation dating back millennia.
    — Cu Fleshman, Travel + Leisure, 3 Aug. 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 29 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on possession

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 kith

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

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

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

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

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 28

Why do we say 'break a leg'?
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
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
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All