possesses

VERB

have or obtain

Synonyms

STRONGEST

acquire carry enjoy maintain occupy own retain seize

STRONG

bear control corner dominate grab hog hold

WEAK

be blessed with be born with be endowed with corner the market get hands on get hold of have to name latch on to lock up sit on take over take possession

Antonyms

STRONGEST

fail free lack let go lose need release surrender yield

STRONG

abandon forsake

WEAK

dispossess miss not have

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.

It possesses the most lethal and far-flung military; it controls the leading currency; its leaders’ words and deeds are more closely observed and analyzed than those of any other leaders.

From Slate • Jun. 8, 2026

Cobolli possesses more experience of the biggest stage, having reached last year's Wimbledon quarter-finals.

From BBC • Jun. 5, 2026

To replace a legendary producer like Simon, Weiss appointed Nick Bilton, a former tech columnist and documentary filmmaker who possesses no traditional broadcast journalism experience.

From Salon • Jun. 1, 2026

Iran possesses 10 metric tons of enriched material, including nearly 1,000 pounds of 60% purity uranium, enough for almost 11 nuclear weapons.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 20, 2026

Army Airborne School is a collection of soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, Coast Guardsmen, cadets, and anyone else who has received the funding and possesses the will to become Airborne-qualified.

From "The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates" by Wes Moore