Word of the Day ·

P3O1S1S1E1S1S1I1O1N1

possession

/pəˈzɛʃn̩/

noun

What it means

  1. countableuncountableA control or occupancy of something for which one does not necessarily have private property rights.
    1 more example

    Once complete, guide rails will be installed inside the tunnels ready for the box jack itself - which NR intends to push into place during a nine-day engineering possession in September, following a trial push in late August. [...] A small number of weekday and weekend possessions will also be required on June 20-21, September 5-6, and between December 19-March 2021, [...]

    2020 April 8, Paul Stephen, “ECML dive-under drives divergence”, in Rail, page 44
  2. countableuncountableSomething that is owned.

    The car quickly became his most prized possession.

    1 more example

    I would gladly give all of my worldly possessions just to be able to do that.

    Synonyms: ight, aught, belongings, owndom, property, propriety

  3. countableuncountableAn ownership; a taking, a holding, keeping something as one's own.

    The car is in my possession.

    2 more examples

    I'm in possession of the car.

    "Of course it's ribbons," said Mary Trenzlo. “And once in possession of them what honorable-minded Christmas guest could possibly refrain from contributing them to the cause? Lead me to your Christmas packages," she challenged blithely.

    1921, The Ladies Home Journal, page 5

    Synonyms: owndom, retention, owndom, ownership, proprietorship, propriety · Antonyms: absence

In a sentence

Once complete, guide rails will be installed inside the tunnels ready for the box jack itself - which NR intends to push into place during a nine-day engineering possession in September, following a trial push in late August. [...] A small number of weekday and weekend possessions will also be required on June 20-21, September 5-6, and between December 19-March 2021, [...]

2020 April 8, Paul Stephen, “ECML dive-under drives divergence”, in Rail, page 44

Where it comes from

  1. Latinpossessiō, possessiōnis
  2. Englishpossession

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

Full entry for possession →

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