Meanings
- idiomaticuncountableA confidence in one's own powers.
- idiomaticuncountableCalmness and composure, especially when under stress.
She had a very fresh complexion and a pretty, round little face saved from any dolliness by the steadiness of her blue eyes, the firmness of her mouth, and the expression of quiet self-possession.
2022, J. Storer Clouston, The Adventures of M. D'Haricot
Synonyms & antonyms
nounthe trait of resolutely controlling your own behavior
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*swé?
- Proto-Indo-European*selbʰ-
- Proto-Germanic*selbaz
- Old Englishself
- Old Englishself-
- Middle Englishself-
- Englishself-
- Englishpossession
- Englishself-possession
From self- + possession.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Chinese Mandarin 涵養 /涵养
- 涵養 /涵养 (hányǎng)calmness and composure
Dutch zelfvertrouwen, zelfbeheersing
- zelfvertrouwenconfidence in one's own powers
- zelfbeheersingcalmness and composure
- kalmtecalmness and composure
Finnish itseluottamus, itsehillintä
- itseluottamusconfidence in one's own powers
- itsehillintäcalmness and composure
Polish pewność siebie, opanowanie
- pewność siebieconfidence in one's own powers
- opanowaniecalmness and composure
- spokójcalmness and composure
Russian самооблада́ние, сде́ржанность
- самооблада́ние (samoobladánije)calmness and composure
- сде́ржанность (sdéržannostʹ)calmness and composure
- вы́держка (výderžka)calmness and composure
Spanish entereza
- enterezacalmness and composure
Cite this entry
self-possession. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/self-possession
“self-possession.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/self-possession. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “self-possession,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/self-possession.
Source: self-possession on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.