repossess

R1E1P3O1S1S1E1S1S1
/ˌriːpəˈzɛs/

verb

To reclaim ownership of property for which payment remains due.

“to repossess oneself of something lost”

Similar
reclaimtake back
OriginEnglish possess ← Middle English re- ← Old French re- →
UncommonScrabble 11
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Meanings

verbrepossess (third-person singular simple present repossesses, present participle repossessing, simple past and past participle repossessed)

present singular third person repossesses · participle present repossessing · participle past repossessed · past repossessed

  1. businessTo reclaim ownership of property for which payment remains due.
  2. datedreflexiveTo gain back possession of.

    to repossess oneself of something lost

Synonyms & antonyms

verbclaim back

Similar
reclaim
Broader
getacquire

verbregain possession of something

Similar
take back
Broader
take
Also see
reclaimtake back

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Italic*wre-
  2. Latinre-
  3. Old Frenchre-
  4. Middle Englishre-
  5. Englishre-
  6. Englishpossess
  7. Englishrepossess

From re- + possess.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Finnish ulosmitata
  • ulosmitataTo reclaim ownership of property for which payment remains due
Hungarian végrehajt, visszavesz
  • végrehajtTo reclaim ownership of property for which payment remains due
  • visszaveszTo reclaim ownership of property for which payment remains due
Māori taumanu
  • taumanuTo reclaim ownership of property for which payment remains due
Polish odzyskiwać własność, odzyskać własność
  • odzyskiwać własnośćTo reclaim ownership of property for which payment remains due
  • odzyskać własnośćTo reclaim ownership of property for which payment remains due
Scottish Gaelic ath-shealbhaich
  • ath-shealbhaichTo reclaim ownership of property for which payment remains due
Spanish reivindicar, reposeer
  • reivindicarTo reclaim ownership of property for which payment remains due
  • reposeerTo reclaim ownership of property for which payment remains due
Swedish återta
  • återtaTo reclaim ownership of property for which payment remains due
Cite this entry
APA

repossess. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/repossess

MLA

“repossess.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/repossess. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “repossess,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/repossess.

Source: repossess on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.