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
  • The University of Minnesota has a theory on how the plant ended up back in the US, too, theorizing that someone from the Massachusetts Agricultural College (MAC, now the University of Massachusetts) brought seeds back from the forests near Sapporo, Japan in 1876.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 22 Mar. 2026
  • Then comes along Hail Project Mary to upend the prevailing theory that the multiplex has become the dominion of sequels, threequels and endless franchise installments.
    Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 22 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • This is a novel about Jewish bodies and how people respond to them, the toll of obsession, and the conflicting currents of desire and unease that shake and startle a deep romantic fixation.
    Daniel Felsenthal, Vulture, 26 Mar. 2026
  • But Mormonism is a high-demand, patriarchal religion, and the church’s obsession with Godly worthiness has only made the fixation on beauty flourish.
    Elizabeth Gulino, Allure, 26 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • But that number is based on a set of assumptions that seem to rest on increasingly unstable ground.
    Rebecca Noel, Charlotte Observer, 25 Mar. 2026
  • Though their are limits to Ray’s concern for his boys, and by the end of the movie, their experiences don’t transform them as much as confirm their confidences and assumptions.
    James Folta, Literary Hub, 25 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Then last season’s nightmarish problems closing games carried over into 2026.
    Jim Barnes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Mar. 2026
  • Anything else is going to be a problem.
    N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 29 Mar. 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 29 Mar. 2026.

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