possessed
Americanadjective
-
spurred or moved by a strong feeling, madness, or a supernatural power (often followed by by, of, orwith ).
The army fought as if possessed. The village believed her to be possessed of the devil.
-
self-possessed; poised.
idioms
adjective
-
(foll by of) owning or having
-
(usually postpositive) under the influence of a powerful force, such as a spirit or strong emotion
-
a less common word for self-possessed
Other Word Forms
- nonpossessed adjective
- possessedly adverb
- possessedness noun
- unpossessed adjective
Etymology
Origin of possessed
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Helicopters, dog squads and reinforcements from New Zealand were dispatched to help track Freeman, who reportedly possessed strong bushcraft and outdoor survival skills.
From Barron's • Mar. 30, 2026
They are manufactured exclusively by the Lockheed Martin and RTX Corp. for the U.S. military and cannot be legally possessed or sold to the public unless demilitarized.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 29, 2026
"It is clear that you possessed social and business ties to Mr Epstein and have knowledge of information that can assist our investigation," it went on.
From BBC • Mar. 26, 2026
He possessed the foundational knowledge of Islam without the advanced and independent reasoning – ijtihad – required for an ayatollah.
From Salon • Mar. 6, 2026
She still couldn’t say what exactly had possessed her, how she had let herself get so hungry.
From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
