prepossession

ˌprē-pə-ˈze-shən
Definition of prepossessionnext

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun prepossession contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of prepossession are bias, predilection, and prejudice. While all these words mean "an attitude of mind that predisposes one to favor something," prepossession suggests a fixed conception likely to preclude objective judgment of anything counter to it.

a prepossession against technology

When can bias be used instead of prepossession?

The meanings of bias and prepossession largely overlap; however, bias implies an unreasoned and unfair distortion of judgment in favor of or against a person or thing.

a strong bias toward the plaintiff

Where would predilection be a reasonable alternative to prepossession?

Although the words predilection and prepossession have much in common, predilection implies a strong liking deriving from one's temperament or experience.

a predilection for travel

In what contexts can prejudice take the place of prepossession?

In some situations, the words prejudice and prepossession are roughly equivalent. However, prejudice usually implies an unfavorable prepossession and connotes a feeling rooted in suspicion, fear, or intolerance.

a mindless prejudice against the unfamiliar

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for prepossession
Noun
  • Over the past decade, scholars have increasingly mapped postcolonial theory onto post-Soviet contexts, treating Russian imperial expansion as analogous to Western colonialism.
    Anel Rakhimzhanova, Artforum, 1 Mar. 2026
  • This is not an abstract theory.
    Ajaypal Banga, Twin Cities, 1 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • At the root of the trove of emails and depositions from Jeffrey Epstein released to the public is a concerningly underreported obsession with race and eugenics.
    Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 5 Mar. 2026
  • Advertisement Meanwhile, as the protagonist and Vladimir develop a connection, her growing obsession with him reawakens her long dormant creative drive.
    Megan McCluskey, Time, 5 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Leaders of the Upper Basin states also are raising objections, saying the Interior Department’s current options rely on flawed assumptions, fail to impose large enough cuts on the Lower Basin and go beyond the federal government’s authority.
    Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2026
  • This assumption breaks down in a world that shifts in real time.
    Big Think, Big Think, 4 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Tel Aviv, Israel — Undermining this moment of relief for many repressed Iranians is that killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is a perilously simple fix to a very complex problem.
    Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 1 Mar. 2026
  • That is if the letter writer doesn’t mind allowing them in her backyard for a few weeks while others find more reasonable ways to address this problem.
    Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 28 Feb. 2026
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.

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Cite this Entry

“Prepossession.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prepossession. Accessed 7 Mar. 2026.

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