POSSESS: Synonyms and Related Words. What is Another Word for POSSESS?

Need another word that means the same as “possess”? Find 43 synonyms and 30 related words for “possess” in this overview.

The synonyms of “Possess” are: have, own, be the owner of, have in one's possession, be in possession of, be the possessor of, have to one's name, hold, be blessed with, be endowed with, be gifted with, be possessed of, be born with, acquire, obtain, get, get hold of, procure, secure, take, seize, gain possession of, take possession of, get one's hands on, take control of, have power over, take over, have mastery over, cast a spell over, bewitch, enchant, enthral, control, dominate, influence, mad, crazed, maddened, out of one's mind, obsess, haunt, preoccupy, consume

Possess as a Verb

Definitions of "Possess" as a verb

According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, “possess” as a verb can have the following definitions:

• (of a man) have sexual intercourse with.
• Have possession of as distinct from ownership.
• Have as belonging to one; own.
• (of an emotion, idea, etc.) dominate the mind of.
• (of a demon or spirit, especially an evil one) have complete power over (someone) and be manifested through their speech or actions.
• Take for one's own.
• Have ownership or possession of.
• Maintain (oneself or one's mind or soul) in a state of patience or quiet.
• Have as an ability, quality, or characteristic.
• Enter into and control, as of emotions or ideas.
• Have as an attribute, knowledge, or skill.

Synonyms of "Possess" as a verb (43 Words)

acquire	Win something through one’s efforts. They acquired a new pet.
be blessed with	Occupy a certain position or area.
be born with	Happen, occur, take place.
be endowed with	To remain unmolested, undisturbed, or uninterrupted — used only in infinitive form.
be gifted with	Form or compose.
be in possession of	Represent, as of a character on stage.
be possessed of	Form or compose.
be the owner of	Be identical or equivalent to.
be the possessor of	Form or compose.
bewitch	Attract; cause to be enamored. They both were bewitched by the golden luminosity of Italy.
cast a spell over	Select to play,sing, or dance a part in a play, movie, musical, opera, or ballet.
consume	Serve oneself to or consume regularly. The fire consumed the building.
control	Control others or oneself or influence skillfully usually to one s advantage. There were never enough masters to control the unruly mobs of boys.
crazed	Cause to go crazy; cause to lose one’s mind.
dominate	Look down on. A picturesque city dominated by the cathedral tower.
enchant	Cast a spell over someone or something; put a hex on someone or something. The scenery began to enchant her.
enthral	Enslave. She had been so enthralled by the adventure that she had hardly noticed the cold.
gain possession of	Increase (one’s body weight.
get	Take vengeance on or get even. You ll get used to it.
get hold of	Come to have or undergo a change of (physical features and attributes.
get one's hands on	Earn or achieve a base by being walked by the pitcher.
haunt	Haunt like a ghost pursue. She haunts the ballet.
have	Have a personal or business relationship with someone. Have an assistant.
have in one's possession	Get something; come into possession of.
have mastery over	Have as a feature.
have power over	Have a personal or business relationship with someone.
have to one's name	Be confronted with.
hold	Have room for hold without crowding. This basic argument holds for almost any economic model of competition.
influence	Shape or influence give direction to. The artist s work influenced the young painter.
mad	Make someone mad. Had I but seen thy picture in this plight it would have madded me.
maddened	Drive up the wall; go on someone’s nerves.
obsess	Haunt like a ghost; pursue. She is obsessing over her weight.
obtain	Be valid, applicable, or true. The price of silver fell to that obtaining elsewhere in the ancient world.
out of one's mind	Be made known; be disclosed or revealed.
own	Have ownership or possession of. He was reluctant to own that he was indebted.
preoccupy	Occupy or take possession of beforehand or before another or appropriate for use in advance. His mother was preoccupied with paying the bills.
procure	Arrange for sexual partners for others. He procured his wife to sign the mandate for the joint account.
secure	Succeed in obtaining (something), especially with difficulty. The government is concerned to secure the economy against too much foreign ownership.
seize	Seize and take control without authority and possibly with force take as one s right or possession. The mother seized her child by the arm.
take	Ascertain or determine by measuring computing or take a reading from a dial. Take half the marzipan and roll out.
take control of	Ascertain or determine by measuring, computing or take a reading from a dial.
take over	Carry out.
take possession of	Get into one’s hands, take physically.

Usage Examples of "Possess" as a verb

• A terrible rage possessed her.
• All that the plaintiffs did was to possess themselves of the securities.
• A fading blonde possessed of a powerful soprano voice.
• She was possessed by the Devil.
• What possessed you to buy this house?
• He did not possess a sense of humour.
• A two-year suspended sentence for possessing cocaine.
• I tried to possess my soul in patience.
• He possesses great knowledge about the Middle East.
• He just wanted her, to possess her.
• I do not possess a television set.
• I was possessed by a desire to tell her everything.

Associations of "Possess" (30 Words)

ability	Possession of the qualities (especially mental qualities) required to do something or get something done. A man of exceptional ability.
accept	Make use of or accept for some purpose. The cow accepted the bull.
acceptance	The act of taking something that is offered. He anticipated their acceptance of his offer.
acquire	Win something through one’s efforts. Children acquire language at an amazing rate.
acquirement	The action of acquiring something. The acquirement of self control.
addressee	The person to whom something is addressed. The contents of the letters were calculated to cause distress to the individual addressee.
belong	(of a thing) be rightly placed in a specified position. These compounds belong to a class of chemical mediators called kairomones.
bring	Go or come after and bring or take back. I ll give you an aspirin to bring down your temperature.
broach	Pierce (a cask) to draw out liquid. The salmon broach then fall to slap the water.
clutch	The pedal operating the clutch in a vehicle. She let the clutch in and the car surged forward.
dispossess	Deprive of the possession of real estate. A champion of the poor and the dispossessed.
fetch	The action of fetching. The devil will fetch you.
get	Take vengeance on or get even. For someone used to the tiny creatures we get in England it was something of a shock.
grab	Capture the attention or imagination of. How does that grab you.
have	Have a personal or business relationship with someone. The only girl who would have him was the miller s daughter.
own	Have something as one s own possess. His father owns a restaurant.
picking	The act of picking crops or fruit or hops etc. He sent the first picking of berries to the market.
possession	The trait of resolutely controlling your own behavior. Fear took possession of my soul.
procure	Cause (something) to happen. He persuaded a friend to procure him a ticket.
proprietorship	The state or right of owning a business or holding property. Plenty of new firms especially sole proprietorships don t make money in their first few years of operation.
receive	Receive as a retribution or punishment. Her new collection of poems was not well received.
receptiveness	Willingness or readiness to receive (especially impressions or ideas. He was testing the government s receptiveness to reform.
resignedly	In a hopeless resigned manner.
retention	Failure to eliminate a substance from the body. The children s retention of facts.
secure	Compress (a blood vessel) to prevent bleeding. Check to ensure that all nuts and bolts are secure.
select	Pick out select or choose from a number of alternatives. Children must select their GCSE subjects.
sequestrate	Set apart from others. A trustee in a sequestrated estate.
supplant	Take the place or move into the position of. Domestic production has been supplanted by imports and jobs have been lost.
take	Take by force. Some degrees require a student to take a secondary subject.
unavailable	(of a person) not free to do something; otherwise occupied. The men were unavailable for work.