possession

B1 Topic:Abstract Ideas

Also spelled possesion

US /pəˈzɛʃn̩/ See IPA manual

Freq #3832

Meanings

1

noun
Something that you own.

The car quickly became his most prized possession.
2

noun
The state of having or holding something.

The documents are now in my possession.
3

noun
A territory ruled or controlled by another country.

Réunion is the largest of France's overseas possessions.
4

noun
In sports, control of the ball or puck.

The team kept possession for most of the match.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · something that you own. belongings property

2 noun · the state of having or... ownership

Word family

Forms possessions

Derived forms dispossession nonpossession possessional possessionarypossessionerpossessionismpossessionistpossessionisticpossessionlessprepossessionrepossessionself-possession

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

actual possession
direct physical control of property rather than a right to control it

Adjective + noun

Proverbs (2)

See all

Etymology

From Latin possessiō, possessiōnis. Equivalent to possess + -ion.

possessio Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Abstract Ideas

External links

# possession

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B1
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /pəˈzɛʃn̩/
**Frequency rank:** 3832

## Meanings
1. Something that you own.
2. The state of having or holding something.
3. A territory ruled or controlled by another country.
4. In sports, control of the ball or puck.

## Examples
- The car quickly became his most prized possession.
- The documents are now in my possession.
- Réunion is the largest of France's overseas possessions.
- The team kept possession for most of the match.

## Derived Forms
- dispossession
- nonpossession
- possessional
- possessionary
- possessioner
- possessionism
- possessionist
- possessionistic
- possessionless
- prepossession
- repossession
- self-possession

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: possessio

## Etymology
From Latin possessiō, possessiōnis. Equivalent to possess + -ion.

## AI Etymology
Possession comes from Latin possessiō, possessiōnis. Equivalent to possess + -ion. The historical chain includes possessio (Latin). In present-day English it covers something that you own, the state of having or holding something, and a territory ruled or controlled by another country. The wider family includes derived forms such as dispossession, nonpossession, possessional, possessionary, possessioner.

## Topics
- Abstract Ideas

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