possess

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   To own or have something.

   He does not even possess a working telephone.

2. 2
   verb

   To have a quality, skill, or piece of knowledge.

   She possesses great knowledge of the Middle East.

3. 3
   verb

   To take control of someone's mind or body, especially of an evil spirit.

   They believed he was possessed by an evil spirit.

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 sea…

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