{
    "term": "possess",
    "partOfSpeech": "verb",
    "ox3000": true,
    "cefr": "b2",
    "verbForms": {
        "presentSimple": {
            "iYouWeThey": "possess",
            "heSheIt": "possesses"
        },
        "pastSimple": "possessed",
        "pastParticiple": "possessed",
        "ingForm": "possessing"
    },
    "definitions": [
        {
            "senseNumber": 1,
            "definition": "to have or own something",
            "sensetop": "possess something",
            "labels": "(formal)",
            "cefr": "b2",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "He was charged with possessing a shotgun without a licence."
                },
                {
                    "text": "I'm afraid this is the only suitcase I possess."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The gallery possesses a number of the artist's early works."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Belgium was the first European country to possess a fully fledged rail network."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 2,
            "definition": "to have a particular quality or feature",
            "sensetop": "possess something",
            "labels": "(formal)",
            "cefr": "b2",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "I'm afraid he doesn't possess a sense of humour."
                },
                {
                    "text": "workers who possess the requisite skills for the task"
                },
                {
                    "text": "He credited her with a maturity she did not possess."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Isaak 's songwriting possesses a timeless quality."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Young adults possess incredible purchasing power."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 3,
            "definition": "to have a powerful effect on somebody and control the way that they think, behave, etc.",
            "sensetop": "possess somebody",
            "labels": "(literary)",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "A terrible fear possessed her."
                },
                {
                    "text": "I was possessed by a desire to tell her everything."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 4,
            "definition": "to make somebody do something that seems strange or unreasonable",
            "sensetop": "possess somebody to do something",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "What possessed him to say such a thing?"
                }
            ]
        }
    ],
    "pronunciations": {
        "uk": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/pəˈzes/",
                "audio": "po/possess/possess__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/pəˈzesɪz/",
                "audio": "po/possess/possesses__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/pəˈzest/",
                "audio": "po/possess/possessed__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/pəˈzesɪŋ/",
                "audio": "po/possess/possessing__gb_1.mp3"
            }
        ],
        "us": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/pəˈzes/",
                "audio": "po/possess/possess__us_2.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/pəˈzesɪz/",
                "audio": "po/possess/possesses__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/pəˈzest/",
                "audio": "po/possess/possessed__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/pəˈzesɪŋ/",
                "audio": "po/possess/possessing__us_1.mp3"
            }
        ]
    },
    "wordOrigin": "late Middle English: from Old French possesser, from Latin possess- ‘occupied, held’, from the verb possidere, from potis ‘able, capable’ + sedere ‘sit’."
}