Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

possess

/pəˈzɛs/

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.02 in modern English

Syllables
pos-sess
IPA
/pəˈzɛs/
9
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
2
Syllables
4
Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To have (something) as, or as if as, an owner; to have, to own.

Transitive verb

verb

Of an idea, thought, etc.: to dominate (someone's mind); to strongly influence.

Transitive verb

verb

Of a supernatural entity, especially one regarded as evil: to take control of (an animal or person's body or mind).

Transitive verb

verb

Of a person: to control or dominate (oneself or someone, or one's own or someone's heart, mind, etc.).

Literary; Transitive verb

verb

Of a person: to control or dominate (oneself or someone, or one's own or someone's heart, mind, etc.).

Literary; Transitive verb

verb

To cause an idea, thought, etc., to strongly affect or influence (someone); to inspire, to preoccupy.

Archaic; Transitive verb

verb

To occupy the attention or time of (someone).

Archaic; Transitive verb

verb

To obtain or seize (something); to gain, to win.

Archaic; Literary; Transitive verb

Example Sentences

Etymology

PIE word *pótis From Middle English possessen (“to have, own; to obtain possession of; to inhabit, occupy”) [and other forms], from Middle French possesser, possessier, Old French possesser, possessier (“to have, own, possess; to dominate”), from Latin possessus (“possessed; seized”), the perfect passive participle of possideō (“to have, hold, own, possess; to have possessions; to take control or possession of, occupy, seize; to abide, inhabit, occupy; to dominate”), from potis (“able, capable, possible”) (from Proto-Indo-European *pótis (“master; ruler; husband”)) + sedeō (“to sit; to be seated; to be established, hold firm”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *sed- (“to sit”)).

Origin

Word Breakdown

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /pəˈzɛs/
  • British English: /pəˈzɛs/

Usage

Inflected Forms

Derived Forms

Phrases

Frequently Paired Words

Synonyms

Antonyms

Rhymes With

Questions

How do you pronounce possess?
The recorded pronunciation is /pəˈzɛs/.
What does possess mean?
To have (something) as, or as if as, an owner; to have, to own.
Where does possess come from?
It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce possess

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “possess”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/pəˈzɛs/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “possess”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “possess” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.