pos‧sess W3 / pəzes / 动词 [及物动词，不用于进行时]

1 formal to have a particular quality or ability :

Different workers possess different skills.

He no longer possessed the power to frighten her.

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In everyday English, people usually say that someone has or has got something rather than possesses it:

They all have different skills.

2 formal or law to have or own something :

Neither of them possessed a credit card.

Campbell was found guilty of possessing heroin.

3 what possessed somebody (to do something)? spoken used to say that you cannot understand why someone did something stupid :

What on earth possessed her to do it?

4 literary if a feeling possesses you, you suddenly feel it very strongly and it affects your behaviour :

A mad rage possessed her.

THESAURUS

own if you own something, it legally belongs to you : They live in a flat but they don’t own it. | The land is owned by farmers. | a privately owned plane

have [不用于被动态] to own something – used when focussing on the fact that someone has the use of something, rather than the fact that they legally own it : How many students have a cell phone? | I wish I had a sports car.

possess [不用于被动态] formal to own something : It is illegal to possess a firearm in Britain. | I don’t even possess a smart suit!

belong to somebody/something [不用于被动态] if something belongs to you, you own it : The ring belonged to my grandmother.

hold to own shares in a company : One man holds a third of the company’s shares.

be the property of somebody/something formal to be owned by someone – written on signs, labels etc : This camera is the property of the BBC.