Houses and fields and vineyards shall be possessed
again in this land. --Jer. xxxii.
15.
Yet beauty, though injurious, hath strange power,
After offense returning, to regain Love once
possessed. --Milton.
2. To have the legal title to; to have a just right to; to be
master of; to own; to have; as, to possess property, an
estate, a book.
I am yours, and all that I possess. --Shak.
3. To obtain occupation or possession of; to accomplish; to
gain; to seize.
How . . . to possess the purpose they desired.
--Spenser.
4. To enter into and influence; to control the will of; to
fill; to affect; -- said especially of evil spirits,
passions, etc. ``Weakness possesseth me.'' --Shak.
Those which were possessed with devils. --Matt. iv.
24.
For ten inspired, ten thousand are possessed.
--Roscommon.
5. To put in possession; to make the owner or holder of
property, power, knowledge, etc.; to acquaint; to inform;
-- followed by of or with before the thing possessed, and
now commonly used reflexively.
I have possessed your grace of what I purpose.
--Shak.
Record a gift . . . of all he dies possessed Unto
his son. --Shak.
We possessed our selves of the kingdom of Naples.
--Addison.
To possess our minds with an habitual good
intention. --Addison.
Syn: To have; hold; occupy; control; own.
Usage: {Possess}, {Have}. Have is the more general word. To
possess denotes to have as a property. It usually
implies more permanence or definiteness of control or
ownership than is involved in having. A man does not
possess his wife and children: they are (so to speak)
part of himself. For the same reason, we have the
faculties of reason, understanding, will, sound
judgment, etc.: they are exercises of the mind, not
possessions.