possession

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

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2
3
as in occupancy
the act or fact of residing in a place squatters had established possession in the abandoned warehouse

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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 The juvenile, who was arrested Aug. 8, was charged with 33 counts of first-degree wanton endangerment and one count of possession of a handgun by a minor, LMPD spokesperson Aaron Ellis said. Caroline Neal, Louisville Courier Journal, 11 Aug. 2025 The grand jury report provided some examples of elder financial abuse which include: Stealing an elder person’s money or possessions that may have taken a lifetime to accumulate. Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 11 Aug. 2025 Drummond is wanted for first-degree murder, kidnapping, four counts of a felon in possession of a firearm and one count of possession of a firearm furing the commission of a dangerous felony. Adam Sabes, FOXNews.com, 1 Aug. 2025 Late in the day, disputes about money or possessions could arise. Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 31 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for possession
Recent Examples of Synonyms for possession
Noun
  • In particular, the record shows that the military’s big bet on tourism — continuing to build new hotels despite very low occupancy rates — has turned disastrous.
    Nora Gamez Torres, Miami Herald, 6 Aug. 2025
  • Locations with 85% or higher occupancy rates incur a $50 premium fee per night.
    Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 4 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Leaving a population of catchable bass in small lakes and ponds is the key to many hours of future enjoyment.
    Anthony A. Ciuffa, Outdoor Life, 7 Aug. 2025
  • Mileage on these titles very much varies, as does critical response and audience enjoyment.
    Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 5 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • The challenge has always been to figure out how to personalize things without spending inordinate amounts of time and money mapping out every possible path a student might take.
    Ray Ravaglia, Forbes, 28 Dec. 2024
  • As a business owner, higher profit margins, all other things being equal, are more valuable.
    Bill Stone, Forbes, 28 Dec. 2024
Noun
  • Protesters, including some Jewish groups, say the Trump administration wrongly equates their criticism of Israel’s military assault in Gaza and its occupation of Palestinian territories with antisemitism, and advocacy for Palestinian rights with support for extremism.
    CNN Money, CNN Money, 12 Aug. 2025
  • The planned occupation could worsen shortages of food, water and medical care amid collapsing infrastructure.
    Amir Daftari, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • And that’s the kind of craft that existed in that era, where people who were just writing on staff were writing better than stuff that people make now.
    Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 15 Aug. 2025
  • The Premier League started doing stuff with players being interviewed from home on Zoom, and then started the ePremier League, with all 20 clubs asked to find a player who would like to be involved.
    Oliver Kay, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Due to climate change, the Northeast will be one of the few parts of the US that will have a climate suitable for many kinds of agriculture and for human habitation.
    Kip Kolesinskas, Hartford Courant, 11 July 2025
  • Meanwhile, the prospect that asteroid orbits may be deliberately changed for research and mining, or in the future, by habitation, has gained the attention of a student team from Imperial College London, the University of Santiago de Compostela and Cairo University.
    Leonard David, Space.com, 12 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Possession.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/possession. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.

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