26984 words

possession

11 definitions • 19 examples
1
the fact that you have or own something:

Examples:

The possession of large amounts of money does not ensure happiness.
formal I have in my possession a letter which may be of interest to you.
formal He was found in possession of explosives.
2
something that you own or that you are carrying with you at a particular time:

Examples:

Please remember to take all your personal possessions with you when you leave the aircraft.
3
a country that is ruled by another country:

Examples:

a former overseas possession
4
in games such as football and rugby, the time when a team has control of the ball:

Examples:

Wolves had a lot of possession but failed to score.
We need to keep possession of the ball to give ourselves a chance.
5
to start to use and control something such as a building or piece of land that you may or may not own:

Examples:

We've already bought the house but we won't take possession of it until May.
6
something that you own, or the condition of owning something:

Examples:

[ U ] She couldn’t take possession of the house until the current occupants moved out.
[ C ] Meanwhile, all her possessions were in storage.
7
If you are in possession of something you have it with you:

Examples:

He was in possession of two tickets to the concert.
8
the situation in which someone has or owns something:

Examples:

in sb's possession No steps may be taken to repossess goods in the company's possession except with the leave of the court.
have possession of sth The Court of Appeal admitted that Ms Mountford did have exclusive possession of the property.
in possession of sth The ruling did not establish that he was in possession of the disputed land.
9
something that someone owns or has with them at a particular time:

Examples:

The value of his possessions came to about $1 million.
10
to start to use and control goods, a building, or a piece of land, whether you own them or not:

Examples:

Was the bank entitled to take possession of his property and exercise its power of sale without an order of the court?
The court appointed a receiver to take possession of the assets of the company.
11
the crime of having illegal drugs or illegally owning a gun:

Examples:

He is wanted by police on charges of possession of illegal firearms.

Navigation